MSU Red Cedar Message Board

I expected around $40k a year. I'm currently making $52k a year in my first "real job". I've been here a year and the honeymoon is over. I wish I were home right now.

I don't remember, but I was making $35k in banking to start back in 1999 (econ major). It was a lot of money back then. Three kids, a wife, and a house later and that seems like minimum wage.

In a Detroit-area entry level, non-commission sales & marketing job fresh out of school in 2000, I started at $32k and was ecstatic to take it.

Benefits were great, perks were outstanding, I travelled, and had no idea how good I had it.

9/11 hit, budgets were hit hard, and companies began offering 25-30 for the same job. Meanwhile, benefits like medical went out the door, with monthly premiums and deductibles skyrocketing.

10 years later, things haven't changed much for entry level employees. Companies realized they were overpaying, even as markets rebounded.

If I were accepting an entry level job now, I'd ask a lot of questions about career track and typical salary growth.

Hoping for $50k in 1998, and got it as a base salary. Ended up making over $60k that year with bonuses.

Engineering BTW.

I didn't really come out of college with any expectations. I wanted to get a job in Detroit after the '08 (to present) recession so I didn't haggle with the compensation on my offer.

While in Law School, I was hoping for about 75k.

First job was 45k, 6 years later, I make ~73k.

Slightly disappointing $ wise, but the benefits and vacation make up for it.

How much law school debt do you have? I've always thought about going back for law degree but would need to be certain I'd be making serious money if I was about to incur $100k+ debt

How the hell did u pull that off?

High tech is a good sector. Our salaries are on level, not function. So getting in with programmers and such helps boost you outside your peers in other industries.

expected around 40k, started at 38k. Looking at what i make now i have no clue how i lived off that...38k wouldn't even cover my rent now.

Wow, I'm definitely one of those people who went into something I want to do, not in for the money (probably not a good idea). I'd be lucky to make 30k with no benefits my first year (whenever that actually happens)...

2007 journalism grad going into sportswriting, expected mid-$20k. Got 26k (less with furloughs). It's a shitty, shitty, shitty business that I am glad to no longer be a part of.