It's that time of year. Across the country, millions of students have returned to their chosen institution of higher education. For a quarter of these students, it's their first time stepping foot on a college campus. At the other end of the spectrum though, there are another 25 percent of students who are stepping foot in their hallowed halls for the last time, should they choose to enter the work force immediately after graduation.
For this group of students, the job search is imminent and that first salary offer can be overwhelming. As a soon-to-be graduate, what can you reasonably expect as an entry-level salary based on your major and chosen career path?
Compiling data from the college of agriculture at 16 key universities located throughout the Midwest and the South, Iowa State University's data gives you a feeling for just what that number may be. Data was collected from career services offices from December 2012 and May 2013 undergraduates.
The pretax incomes of 1,548 students were pooled to find the low, high and average salary for an array of potential careers. Additionally, 968 graduates in the agricultural colleges at these universities pursued further education.
Many of the schools' students who choose to attend for a dairy education have also embraced the enhanced-learning opportunities that programs like Dairy Challenge and international experiences provide. Of those that completed our recent survey of four-year programs, all but five universities participated in Dairy Challenge and/or offered international dairy opportunities.
To see the full salary break down by major and career path, click here.
The author, Amanda Smith, was an associate editor and is an animal science graduate of Cornell University. Smith covers feeding, milk quality and heads up the World Dairy Expo Supplement. She grew up on a Medina, N.Y., dairy, and interned at a 1,700-cow western New York dairy, a large New York calf and heifer farm, and studied in New Zealand for one semester.
For this group of students, the job search is imminent and that first salary offer can be overwhelming. As a soon-to-be graduate, what can you reasonably expect as an entry-level salary based on your major and chosen career path?
Compiling data from the college of agriculture at 16 key universities located throughout the Midwest and the South, Iowa State University's data gives you a feeling for just what that number may be. Data was collected from career services offices from December 2012 and May 2013 undergraduates.
The pretax incomes of 1,548 students were pooled to find the low, high and average salary for an array of potential careers. Additionally, 968 graduates in the agricultural colleges at these universities pursued further education.
| Average salaries for recent ag graduates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Avg. salary | Low salary | High salary | No. of graduates |
| Agricultural Economics and Business degree | ||||
| Farm Management | $45,568 | $30,000 | $93,000 | |
| Lending/Finance | $44,117 | $22,500 | $80,000 | |
| Agricultural Education, Communication and Studies degree | ||||
| Ag Education Teacher | $40,762 | $31,800 | $60,000 | |
| Communications/Public Relations | $32,281 | $16,500 | $45,000 | |
| Cooperative Extension System | $30,407 | $18,600 | $38,500 | |
| Farming Operation | $45,875 | $30,000 | $79,500 | |
| Marketing | $40,340 | $16,500 | $60,000 | |
| Agronomy and Crop Sciences degree | ||||
| Agronomist | $46,500 | $30,000 | $66,000 | |
| Crop Scout/Consultant | $42,773 | $32,000 | $60,000 | |
| Animal and Dairy Sciences degree | ||||
| A.I. Technician/Breeding | $36,500 | 34,000 | $38,000 | |
| Farm Operation | $34,013 | $25,000 | $46,000 | |
| Feed/Nutrition | $42,611 | $34,000 | $52,000 | |
| Herdsman | $34,500 | $25,000 | $42,000 | |
| Sales Representative | $42,800 | $30,000 | $55,000 | |
| Vet Technician | $25,555 | $16,500 | $40,000 | |
| Food Science, Human Nutrition and Dietetics degree | ||||
| Quality Assurance/Control | $44,417 | $20,000 | $60,000 | |
| Research and Development | $47,886 | $28,000 | $60,000 | |
| Technical & Biosystems Engineering, Industrial Technology, and Packaging Services degree | ||||
| Engineer, General | $56,513 | $33,000 | $80,000 | |
| Packaging Engineer | $56,128 | $40,000 | $72,000 | |
Many of the schools' students who choose to attend for a dairy education have also embraced the enhanced-learning opportunities that programs like Dairy Challenge and international experiences provide. Of those that completed our recent survey of four-year programs, all but five universities participated in Dairy Challenge and/or offered international dairy opportunities.
To see the full salary break down by major and career path, click here.
The author, Amanda Smith, was an associate editor and is an animal science graduate of Cornell University. Smith covers feeding, milk quality and heads up the World Dairy Expo Supplement. She grew up on a Medina, N.Y., dairy, and interned at a 1,700-cow western New York dairy, a large New York calf and heifer farm, and studied in New Zealand for one semester.
