Fresh University of Southern California graduates are walking into six-figure tech and consulting roles while their peers in other majors face a brutal reality check, according to a recent survey highlighting the growing salary divide across professional fields.
Entrepreneur and personal finance educator Charlie Chang interviewed recent graduates of the university about their first job offers in June, revealing stark compensation gaps that reflect broader shifts in the post-pandemic labor market. While engineering and tech roles are commanding starting packages north of $100,000, other degree holders are confronting salaries barely above $55,000 despite similar educational investments.
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Tech and Consulting Dominate the Top Tier
The highest-earning graduates clustered in predictable sectors. One graduate told Chang that AI engineer and sales engineering positions offer compensation "north of $100,000." Similarly, a mechanical design role in building science pays between $80,000 and $100,000, while a tech consulting position at PwC delivers approximately $95,000 to $96,000, including bonuses, according to another graduate.
Computer science and business administration graduates from USC entering consulting reported base salaries of around $86,000–$87,000, with bonuses ranging from $7,000 to $8,000. Biomedical engineering roles in cardiac rhythm management also offered salaries in the $80,000–$100,000 range.
But landing these positions required significant effort. Multiple graduates described the job market as demanding “a lot of effort and a lot of applications,” suggesting intense competition despite strong compensation for those who succeed.
The Architecture Reality: Five Years of School for $60K
The compensation picture turns sharply negative for architecture graduates. Despite completing a five-year degree program plus subsequent licensing exams, starting salaries land between $55,000 and $65,000, according to the graduates.
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One architecture graduate described the job market as “pretty rough because of the economy” and relocated to London seeking better prospects. The disparity highlights how degree length and difficulty don’t necessarily correlate with early-career earnings.
Arts majors face similar challenges. Dance and other creative fields follow “not a linear path,” with graduates advised to prioritize passion over immediate pay while finding stable income sources to support artistic pursuits.
Networking Beats Credentials in Today’s Market
Across all majors, graduates emphasized that classroom performance matters less than strategic networking. USC alumni repeatedly stressed being “friendly,” “open to everything,” and actively leveraging university resources including the alumni association network.
Joining major-specific clubs proved “super helpful” for recruitment, particularly organizations like the Women’s Consulting Practice, a student-run group that prepares women for careers in consulting through workshops, mentorship, and networking. Faculty relationships and internships also created direct pipelines to full-time offers—one engineering student said they “never quite knew what engineering was” until an internship that converted into a job offer.
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Interview tactics matter too. Graduates recommended sending follow-up emails one week after interviews highlighting specific conversation details and asking targeted questions like “how do you define success in this job.”
The Financial Aid Equation
Multiple graduates avoided debt entirely through aggressive scholarship applications and financial aid maximization. This approach proves critical given USC’s high tuition costs and the reality that starting salaries vary by $45,000 or more depending on major selection.
The pressure creates difficult decisions. Several students said ignoring family pressure—particularly from immigrant parents pushing computer science—to pursue genuine interests, arguing they’ll live the “8-to-5 lifestyle” regardless of parental preferences.
For those facing tough job markets, graduate school offers an extension. Some pursue master’s degrees because they’re “lifelong learners,” while others—particularly international students—use additional degrees to remain in the U.S. job market longer.
The message: in 2025’s employment landscape, your major and network matter far more than your university’s name alone.
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