Salary Rates After Graduation

4 Pages 1073 Words

Problem Statement
People go to college with the assumption that a college education will allow them to earn more money, and hopefully have a “better life”. So they subject themselves to four years of study and then they graduate, find a great job and live happily ever after. Right?
Recent trends in the business sector as well as socio-political events have made it difficult for graduating students to realize the dream of immediate wealth after college. Rumors spread by alumni tell of a cut throat job market where few come by jobs that correspond to their degree of study. Observing all the negatives, one might ask “how much can graduating students expect to earn as a base salary immediately after graduation?”
Research Objectives
The purpose of this research is to inform students about their salary potential. Overall base salaries of various professions will be used as a means of comparison. I intend to give students a better perspective by addressing their salary expectations and comparing them to real job market earning statistics.

This survey is significant to students because it:
1. Addresses their expectations
2. Valuation of a college education
3. Is a preparation tool for job interview




Literature Review
U.S. Census Bureau, Special Studies, July ’02 issue: “The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings”. This source will be used to determine if obtaining a college education is more profitable than a high school education. It also demonstrates how the increase in each educational level results in higher earnings.

Business Week, 2-3-03 issue: “Is Your Job Next”. Used to evaluate global trends in the job market.

Honolulu Advertiser, Careerbuilder 3-16-03: “Field of Dreams”. Assess market trends in Hawaii; this is significant because the survey will be taken at Hawaii Pacific University located in Honolulu, HI.

HPU, Center for Grad...