Approximately 17% of students expect earning more than $85,000 per year from their first job after graduation, according to a recent survey by AIG Retirement Services and EVERFI, CNBC reported.
Spring Commencement, Graduation, jk$85,000 was the most common response from students in the survey, which asked more than 20,000 college students nationwide.
A $85,000 starting salary is not too different from official projections for some majors, with the average post-grad salary for computer sciences majors in the Class of 2021 being $72,173, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Half the surveyed students said finding employment post-college is a stressor. But this is a lower percentage than previous years.
The optimism makes sense, said Rob Scheinerman, CEO of AIG Retirement Services, citing availability of vaccines, stimulus checks, frozen federal student loan payments and job openings.
However, students should be prepared for unequal outcomes as they enter the job market, Scheinerman said.
