New Grads Expect Six-Figure Salaries. They May Not Be Able To Get Them.

Spring graduates may be disappointed in their pay as they enter the workforce.

According to a survey by career website ZipRecruiter, the current crop of graduates expect to make $101,500 a year as they enter the workforce. However, if their predecessors are any indication, they are likely to have much lower salaries.

Those who graduated in the last year reported an average annual salary of $68,400—more than $33,000 less than the expectations of students who are planning to graduate at some point year.

That’s roughly in line with employers’ projections of what they’re willing to pay new graduates. According to the latest data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, companies expect to pay those graduating in 2025 about $68,700 on average; however, that number varies by degree type.

Those graduating with a degree in engineering are expected to see the highest pay at $78,731 per year. Communications majors will likely have the lowest pay, with employers projecting an average salary of $60,353.

College students graduating this month are entering an uncertain economy. Changing tariff policy makes it harder for businesses to make decisions, especially in hiring. Economists expect a slowdown in the job market in the coming months and a decrease in Americans’ purchasing power.

A lack of clarity regarding student loan repayment programs also pressures graduates’ finances. As the federal government works to wind down the Department of Education, millions of student loan borrowers are left in limbo as they wait to see what will happen with repayment and forgiveness programs.

“[Looming student loans] definitely plays into the differential between the salary expectation gap and the reality,” DeMase said. “Students would assume that out of school, they can get a job that will help them start paying those off in an efficient way.”