What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
After college, your first real job, how much were you making? I'll start: $54,000.
Edit: Please take inflation into consideration! Calculate for today's dollars.
Edit: Please take inflation into consideration! Calculate for today's dollars.
Last edited by TheDev on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
er, don't you need to denominate the results in constant dollars?
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
After college, grad school, on a fellowship with a stipend of $2,400/year.
After grad school, first real job, $13,500 a year. My college tuition was $1,700 a year, an exorbitant amount that provoked annual tuition riots.
Why, yes, there was a lot of inflation during the 1970s.
WIN stood for Whip Inflation Now.
After grad school, first real job, $13,500 a year. My college tuition was $1,700 a year, an exorbitant amount that provoked annual tuition riots.
Why, yes, there was a lot of inflation during the 1970s.
WIN stood for Whip Inflation Now.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness; Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
550 a month . I was told if I did a good job I could expect 50 month raise. And a car. What a deal. Turned down 2 jobs paying 800. a month. 41 years later I am still working for that company. ps I did a little better than 50 a month increase.
2014 No. 42 2015 No.342 2016 No. 6 2017 238 2018 no. 175 2019 no. 144 6 year average 157.83. Proves I am just an average investor.What do I know? "Good bless America land that I love..."
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$500 per month in June 1964.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$9/hr in New York City in 2001 just after September 11. In retrospect, August 2001 was a bad time to move to NYC with a BA in English and no job.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
[Inappropriate remark removed by admin LadyGeek]
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$555 a month ($6,600 annually) in 1960, which was much higher than any wage my father ever earned. That was the highest salary of any other Univ. of Fla. Chemical Engineering graduate in my class that year. I reached the magic $10,000 annual income in 1965.
Jim
EDIT: According to US Inflation Calculator http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/, that $6,600 1960 salary would be $51,633 in 2012 dollars.
Jim
EDIT: According to US Inflation Calculator http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/, that $6,600 1960 salary would be $51,633 in 2012 dollars.
Last edited by Sheepdog on Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Went to Navy OCS in January 1961 and upon commissioning in June 1961 my base pay was $222.30 per month until my next promotion 18 months later.
Tom D.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$0.
I didn't go to college.
I didn't go to college.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
I take it you are retired now?2wolves wrote:Not much, but I invested it all in a Roth IRA paying 8% and now I'm rich!TheDev wrote:After college, your first real job, how much were you making? I'll start: $54,000.
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
First real job as a lawyer: base salary of $32,500 in 1984.
To adjust in today's dollars: Base salary out of law school at my firm is now $105,000.
To adjust in today's dollars: Base salary out of law school at my firm is now $105,000.
Petrocelli (not the real Rico, but just a fan)
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$555 in 1960 = $6,600 today? Really? I didn't realize inflation was that crazy.Sheepdog wrote:$555 a month ($6,600) in 1960, which was much higher than any wage my father ever earned. That was the highest salary of any other Univ. of Fla. Chemical Engineering graduate in my class that year. I reached the magic $10,000 annual income in 1965.
Jim
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
1975 starting salary was $10,000 annually developing software.
Jerry
Jerry
"I was born with nothing and I have most of it left."
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
According to US Inflation Calculator http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/, that $6,600 1960 salary would be $51,633 in 2012 dollars. Yes, inflation was that crazy.TheDev wrote:$555 in 1960 = $6,600 today? Really? I didn't realize inflation was that crazy.Sheepdog wrote:$555 a month ($6,600 annually) in 1960, which was much higher than any wage my father ever earned. That was the highest salary of any other Univ. of Fla. Chemical Engineering graduate in my class that year. I reached the magic $10,000 annual income in 1965.
Jim
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$50K in 1999 in the Bay Area. For another point of reference, I also had offers for $40K in NYC and $40K(?) in Atlanta.
-Steph
-Steph
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$10,500 in 1971 ($59,494 in 2012 dollars).
Greg, retired 8/10.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
24k/yr - cranking code for a chip design tool company in lovely Mountainview - 1980 - seemed nice at the time.
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$15k in 1981 / $37.9k in 2012 dollars
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
I made $75/week ($3,900/year) in June 1972; that would be $411.74/week and $21,410.48 in 2012 dollars.
The official link to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's calculator (which yields the same results) is http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
The http://www.usinflationcalculator.com link says: "US Inflation Calculator is a part of the CoinNews family of Web sites"
Eric
The official link to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's calculator (which yields the same results) is http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
The http://www.usinflationcalculator.com link says: "US Inflation Calculator is a part of the CoinNews family of Web sites"
Eric
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Is your firm in a big city? Did you go to a big school?Petrocelli wrote:First real job as a lawyer: base salary of $32,500 in 1984.
To adjust in today's dollars: Base salary out of law school at my firm is now $105,000.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Why are you so insistent on knowing how much people make? I find it sort of rude and very pushy.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
No I think he meant $555x12=$6600.TheDev wrote:$555 in 1960 = $6,600 today? Really? I didn't realize inflation was that crazy.Sheepdog wrote:$555 a month ($6,600) in 1960, which was much higher than any wage my father ever earned. That was the highest salary of any other Univ. of Fla. Chemical Engineering graduate in my class that year. I reached the magic $10,000 annual income in 1965.
Jim
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$52K in 1993 or about $91K in today's dollars
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Rude?mlipps wrote:Why are you so insistent on knowing how much people make? I find it sort of rude and very pushy.
I'm interested in investing, and I want to be able to compare the amount of money I have to invest against the amounts that others started out with. If you don't like it, you don't have to answer the question.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
what do you do? Are you in a high cost of living area?Tim_in_GA wrote:$52K in 1993 or about $91K in today's dollars
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Out of college - $1.75 an hour after graduating from the Wharton School at Penn. Summer job before starting law school. Wharton graduates don't always make big bucks.
John
John
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
I started out as an electrical engineer in Indiana. They put me in an hourly pay grade because there was a hiring freeze for salaried positions. With overtime I made out pretty well.TheDev wrote:what do you do? Are you in a high cost of living area?Tim_in_GA wrote:$52K in 1993 or about $91K in today's dollars
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$31k, 1999, Washington DC, research assistant. I thought I was rich after living on $600 per month my last year of college!
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- Petrocelli
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Yes and yes.TheDev wrote:Is your firm in a big city? Did you go to a big school?Petrocelli wrote:First real job as a lawyer: base salary of $32,500 in 1984.
To adjust in today's dollars: Base salary out of law school at my firm is now $105,000.
Petrocelli (not the real Rico, but just a fan)
- englishgirl
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
£10,500
Which, when converted to US dollars using the correct exchange rate on the day, and THEN adjusted for inflation (look at all this math you made me do!) comes to...$34,879.95 in 2012 dollars.
Now I feel hosed.
Which, when converted to US dollars using the correct exchange rate on the day, and THEN adjusted for inflation (look at all this math you made me do!) comes to...$34,879.95 in 2012 dollars.
Now I feel hosed.
Sarah
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
My first job out of college was as a teaching assistant in graduate school: $5-6K in 1975 (don't remember the exact amount) = $22-26K now.
My first "real" job after graduate school was as a visiting assistant professor (temporary replacement for a prof on sabbatical): $20K in 1983 = $46K now.
My first "real" job after graduate school was as a visiting assistant professor (temporary replacement for a prof on sabbatical): $20K in 1983 = $46K now.
Meet my pet, Peeve, who loves to convert non-acronyms into acronyms: FED, ROTH, CASH, IVY, ...
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$28,000 in 1982 as a chemical engineer. I don't know what that is in today's dollars.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$75K/yr. in 1996.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
what do you do? was this job in a high cost of living area?gravlax wrote:$75K/yr. in 1996.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Using CPI adjustments, $37,000 in 2012 USD, but I took the job one year before graduating college, as I was on my own and also needed to make a living.
I took a different job one year after graduating, for $55,000 in 2012 USD.
I took a different job one year after graduating, for $55,000 in 2012 USD.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$40k a year in 2004 in Fl. $48,592.48 today.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$85,000. That is surprising.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$45,000 in first real job (not graduate assistant).
P.S. To the doubters about what new lawyers can make. My son-in-law started at $125k in 2002, which is over $150k in 2010 dollars (the inflation calculator only goes to 2010). Big city, big firm, not so big school.
P.S. To the doubters about what new lawyers can make. My son-in-law started at $125k in 2002, which is over $150k in 2010 dollars (the inflation calculator only goes to 2010). Big city, big firm, not so big school.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
To the OP. If you wanted to know what people did and where they worked, you should have asked in your OP. You only asked for salary.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
On the flip side, I know of some recent law school graduates from big city/not-so-big-school either unemployed or struggling to make $40K.sscritic wrote:$45,000 in first real job (not graduate assistant).
P.S. To the doubters about what new lawyers can make. My son-in-law started at $125k in 2002, which is over $150k in 2010 dollars (the inflation calculator only goes to 2010). Big city, big firm, not so big school.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
I made a thread like that, but people complained that asking all those questions was too personal.sscritic wrote:To the OP. If you wanted to know what people did and where they worked, you should have asked in your OP. You only asked for salary.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Did he know some bigshot that helped him get his foot in the door?sscritic wrote:$45,000 in first real job (not graduate assistant).
P.S. To the doubters about what new lawyers can make. My son-in-law started at $125k in 2002, which is over $150k in 2010 dollars (the inflation calculator only goes to 2010). Big city, big firm, not so big school.
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
Graduated in 1965, commissioned Ensign, US Navy. TomD's $222.30 per month was increased to $240.00 the year before I graduated. Plus we got $30.00 per month food allowance which Tom forgot to mention. In today's dollars that was a whopping $23,592 per year total.
Military pay was terrible until we went to an all volunteer military in the mid 1970's. It was so bad that the Social Security Administration in later years bumped up all military pay in those early years for SS calculation purposes.
Chris
Military pay was terrible until we went to an all volunteer military in the mid 1970's. It was so bad that the Social Security Administration in later years bumped up all military pay in those early years for SS calculation purposes.
Chris
Trident D-5 SLBM- "When you care enough to send the very best."
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
No, but I did know someone who worked in their accounting department (I don't think she sat in on the hiring decision). Those were starting salaries in 2002 at big firms in big cities.TheDev wrote: Did he know some bigshot that helped him get his foot in the door?
Here is some data (not restricted to big cities):
http://www.nalp.org/2009septnewassocsalariesMedian Starting Salaries for First-Year Associates by Firm Size
1998 75,000
1999 85,000
2000 110,500
2001 110,200
2002 110,000
2003 107,000
2004 110,000
2005 110,000
2006 120,000
2007 130,000
2008 135,000
2009 145,000
Note the jump from 1998 to 2000; the plateau from 2000 to 2005; and the jumps that followed 2005.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
12000 per year in 1974, or 55856 inflation adjusted.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$58,000 out of undergrad 4 years ago in a moderately low cost of living area.
To the OP in regards to Law School, BigLaw, and or knowing a partner to get your foot in the door:
Law School is very lopsided. The market for law school grads is not the greatest right now. Less than 10% of Law School grads land a coveted "BigLaw" gig that pays 6 figures freshout and usually tops out around $160k/yr these days plus bonus.
To get one of these jobs you need to have great grades at a "top 14" law school, have some connections, or be at the very top of your class in a second tier school.
If you don't make that you'll be lookin at salaries less than what you make now.
Edited to add: if you do land one of these spots, you will earn your money. Longer hours and probably more stress than you can imagine.
To the OP in regards to Law School, BigLaw, and or knowing a partner to get your foot in the door:
Law School is very lopsided. The market for law school grads is not the greatest right now. Less than 10% of Law School grads land a coveted "BigLaw" gig that pays 6 figures freshout and usually tops out around $160k/yr these days plus bonus.
To get one of these jobs you need to have great grades at a "top 14" law school, have some connections, or be at the very top of your class in a second tier school.
If you don't make that you'll be lookin at salaries less than what you make now.
Edited to add: if you do land one of these spots, you will earn your money. Longer hours and probably more stress than you can imagine.
Last edited by bigred77 on Wed Aug 08, 2012 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$52,000 starting January 1, 2013.
Tax accountant pre-cpa, graduate degree.
Medium firm in Atlanta.
Tax accountant pre-cpa, graduate degree.
Medium firm in Atlanta.
Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
after college, graduate school. starting salary $6900 -high school teacher (1976). big bucks
- Steelersfan
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Re: What was Your Starting Salary Out of College?
$12,500 in 1971 for an IT job with two years of graduate school on my resume.
The calculator says that's $70,800 today.
I wouldn't be able to get that much in today's job market.
The calculator says that's $70,800 today.
I wouldn't be able to get that much in today's job market.