U.S. - average salary for master's graduates 2023, by discipline

In 2023, it was projected that people in the United States with a Master’s degree in Engineering would have the highest average starting salary, at 86,826 U.S. dollars. People who held a Master’s degree in Computer Science would have the second highest starting salary, at 83,681 U.S. dollars.

An abundance of Masters

As higher education in the United States has become more common, and even expected, the number of Master’s degrees awarded has increased. During the 1949-50 academic year, about 58,180 Master’s degrees were awarded to students, with the vast majority being earned by male students. In the 2018-19 academic year, this figure increased to about 833,710 Master’s degrees awarded, with the majority being earned by female students.

The right career

While Engineering might have the highest starting pay for Master’s degree holders, those with a Master’s degree as a Physician Assistant had the highest mid-career median pay in 2021. Engineering continues to be one of the most popular fields for those seeking their Master’s degree, and STEM fields continue to dominate the field in number of Master’s degrees awarded.