What are Salary Expectations for MS Degrees for International Students?

What type of salary expectations can an international student have after graduating?

One important factor in determining which Master’s program to pursue as an international student coming to America is what your expected salary might be after graduating and beyond.

• Not all programs and fields are equal when it comes to earning power.
• Therefore, it is important to keep an open mind and perform research when determining salary expectations.
• One reason salary will be important is it will determine the time it will take to become financially independent and pay off any debt such as any education loans that were used to fund schooling.

What factors should I consider?

Someone coming to the U.S. on an F1 Visa or J1 Visa should do their due diligence in terms of salary and job prospects to come up with reasonable salary expectations. There are many factors that determine what salary one would expect to make:

• such as school prestige,
• company placement,
• industry sector,
• geographical location,
• the international student’s attributes and strengths as a candidate,
• and experience within an industry.

Let’s examine salary ranges for a few popular degree choices below.

• Masters of Science in Computer Science:
  • According to PayScale, salaries could range anywhere from $60,000 to $140,000
• Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering:
  • According to Chron.com, starting salaries in Mechanical Engineering in 2012 ranged from an average of $71,900 to $85,900 a year.
• Masters of Science in Data Analysis, Data Science:
  • According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a data scientist is $113,436 and can range from $76,000 to $146,000.
• Masters of Science in Industrial Engineering:
  • According to PayScale, salaries could range anywhere from $50,335 – $119,195.

How does an average salary help me decide?

It is apparent that salaries within a field or degree can have a wide range. This makes it even more important to research:

• the university,
• geographical location,
• and job pipeline of that university when determining which university and program to pursue.

Often the best way to do this research is to contact the university you are considering directly and speak with admissions or connect with faculty within your program of interest.

Are you interested in a program or field that we did not cover? Let us know in the comments below!

As always, please visit us at www.nomadcredit.com to search for your financial product options, including education loans and student health insurance. Please don’t hesitate to email us at help@nomadcredit.com.