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Salaries Continue To Soar For Computer Science Grads
In an era filled with stories of young computer programmers making
millions seemingly overnight, it should be of no surprise that computer science students across the country are seeking higher starting salaries this year.
At Brown University, several seniors said they expected job offers with
lucrative salaries upon graduation.
"I've read somewhere that people like me are getting offers of
$60,000 to $80,000 a year," said computer science concentrator Matt Romaine '01.
Other students suggested similar numbers, with the average being around
$60,000.
The soaring numbers reflect a national trend among computer science majors
at top-tier universities, said Jeff Daniel, chief executive officer of CollegeHire, a high-tech employment agency.
A CollegeHire survey of approximately 5,000 students found that more than
50 percent expected to make $50,000 to $70,000 a year, and 30 percent expected to make more than $70,000.
Daniel said the increases were due mostly to a "dot-com
mentality" among such students. They demand high salaries of technology giants such as IBM and Motorola, with some young programmers reportedly earning starting salaries of six figures because of
the tight labor market in the field
The expectations are noticeably higher than the national average.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median starting salary for computer scientists and programmers was $45,700 in 1999, though for database administrators and Internet programmers the numbers
were somewhat higher.
Expectations may be high due to a strong demand for Brown students in
high-tech occupations.
"Employers know that Brown has a high-quality [computer science]
program and so the students are really sought after," said Kerry Willigan, associate director for employer relations at Brown Career Services.
Technology companies have been "banging down our doors" for the
technology career fair on Oct. 4, she said. Technology firms have even recruited interested non-computer concentrators from Brown, she said.
As a result of the roaring high-tech information economy, the number of
Brown students interested in computer science has mushroomed, said Professor of Computer Science Stanley Zdonik.
Zdonik's course, "CS127: Database Management," has grown by 66
percent in the last three years alone, he said.
"People have become aware of the fact that information is where the
money and jobs are at, and everyone knows there are information technology jobs going unfilled," Zdonik said.
And the foreseeable future shows no sign of the trend abating.
"Wage inflation will continue until a supply of workers flood the
market," Daniel said. "But that's not likely to happen soon."
Universities are not increasing enrollment fast enough in computer
science, and as a result a shortage of workers means that companies cannot rely 100 percent on college graduates, he said.
The Department of Labor predicts a 186.8 percent increase in the number of
professional technology workers over the next 10 years, making it the fastest-growing sector in the American economy.
One noticeable effect of the roaring information economy, Zdonik said, has
been a decrease in highly qualified candidates interested in earning a Ph.D. in computer science.
As long as the economy is roaring, getting a Ph.D. does not make sense
financially unless a student is interested in being an academic researcher in the field, he said.
Meanwhile, for those students interested in getting a high-paying
high-tech job, Daniel recommended taking time to consider all offers.
"Brown students these days have their pick at what job they
want," he said. "They are in control."
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