# Career Pathways and Starting Salaries

**Source**: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/career-toolkit/discover-your-passion/career-pathways-and-starting-salaries/
**Parent**: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/

Once you've identified a career field that interests you, you may wonder what specific roles are available in that industry and approximately what salary you can expect if you decide to pursue a career in that field.

Career Advancement has compiled a list of common positions in major industries and the approximate starting salary for each role. Geography and cost-of-living can vary and affect entry-level salary. Starting salaries may be higher in major metropolitan areas and at large organizations. For support in navigating the offer process, [schedule an appointment](/career-toolkit/personalized-support/advising-appointments/) with a Career Advancement adviser.

*Salary data for most industries courtesy of PayScale.com.*

## Where You Can Go in Behavioral Science

If you’re interested in human behavior, there are many exciting directions you can take your career. Employers across many different industries hire behavioral science experts. Behavioral science specialties you can explore include mental health, market research, social service, behavior change consulting, and academic research.

Career Advancement has compiled a sample list below of career paths in behavioral science as well as the median salary for entry-level positions.

- ## Health & Human Services

  *(some fields may require additional training)*

  - Clinical Psychologist (requires graduate education): $69,861
  - Counselor or Therapist (requires graduate education): $45,988
  - Psychiatrist (requires medical school): $195,344
  - Health Services Manager: $63,851
  - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (requires graduate education): $44,220
  - Medical and Public Health Social Worker (requires graduate education): $40,147
  - Public Policy Analyst:  $49,227

- ## Research & Academia

  - Advanced Degree Required

    - Early Childhood Development PhD Student
    - MA in Marketing
    - MA in Social Sciences
    - Behavioral Science PhD Student
  - Research Analyst / Assistant: $50,902
  - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst (may require additional training): $45,867

- ## Behavioral Science & Change Management

  - Market Researcher: $46,061
  - Change Management Consultant: $70,346
  - Project Manager: $55,997

## Where You Can Go in Business

Business encompasses many different industries and career paths, and there are opportunities for students of all skill sets. Whether you love crunching numbers, interacting with people, coding, doing research, or working on creative projects, you can find a rewarding career in business. Some of the major types of employers in the field include consulting firms, investment banks, financial services organizations, advertising agencies, and corporations that provide a variety of goods and services.

Below is a list of sample business careers that UChicago students commonly pursue along with representative salary ranges for each.

- ## Banking & Markets

  Average starting salary ranges from $60,000 to $110,000 before incentive compensation and signing bonus.

  - Investment Banking Analyst: $100,000-$110,000
  - Equity Trader: $60,000-$75,000
  - Fixed Income Sales: $90,000-$110,000
  - Research Analyst: $100,000

- ## Asset Management

  Average starting base salary range between $70,000 and $110,000. However, depending on the firm and location, compensation can include a signing bonus and the possibility of an annual performance bonus.

  - Wealth Management Analyst: $80,000-$95,000
  - Investment Analyst: $70,000-$90,000
  - Research Associate: $80,000-$110,000
  - Product Development: $80,000-$110,000

- ## Quantitative Finance

  Average Quantitative Finance Salary ranges between $90,000 and $150,000.

  - Quantitative Trader: $120,000-$150,000
  - Quantitative Software Engineer: $90,000-$135,000
  - Quantitative Research Analyst: $100,000-$130,000
  - Quantitative Risk Analyst: $90,000-$120,000

- ## Consulting

  Entry-level consulting positions for recent college graduates are business analyst or associate consultant, depending on the firm, and typically pay an average salary between $65,000 and $110,000. There may also be a performance bonus of 10% to 20%, and a signing bonus of $5,000 to $10,000.

  - Management & Strategy Consultant: $90,000-$110,000
  - Economic Consultant: $75,000-$95,000
  - Human Capital Consultant: $80,000-$100,000
  - Procurement Consultant: $65,000-$80,000
  - IT & Technology Consultant: $75,000-$90,000
  - Industry Specific Consulting: $65,000-$80,000

- ## Corporate

  Entry-level corporate positions typically pay an average salary between $50,000 and $90,000.

  **Leadership Development Programs: $65,000-$90,000**

  **Business Development: $50,000-$85,000**

  - Corporate Account Manager: $50,000-$70,000
  - Business Development Manager: $70,000-$85,000
  - Sales Representative: $50,000-$65,000
  - Territory Manager: $60,000-$80,000

  **Marketing: $50,000-$100,000**

  - Assistant Brand Manager: $90,000-$100,000
  - Marketing Associate: $50,000-$65,000
  - Corporate Communications Associate: $50,000-$65,000

  **Human Resources: $55,000-$75,000**

  - Human Resources Analyst: $60,000-$75,000
  - Benefits Specialist: $55,000-$70,000
  - Recruiter: $55,000-$70,000
  - Training Coordinator: $55,000-$70,000

  **Corporate Operations: $55,000-$90,000**

  - Supply Chain Analyst: $70,000-$90,000
  - Logistics Coordinator: $55,000-$75,000
  - Procurement Specialist: $55,000-$75,000

  **Finance: $65,000-$90,000**

  - Accounting: $65,000-$75,000
  - Finance: $70,000-$90,000

- ## Marketing & Branding

  Entry-level roles in marketing and branding vary by the type of organization (corporate vs. agency) and role, but range between $40,000 and $70,000.

  **Content Development: $40,000-$65,000**

  - Copy Writer: $40,000-$55,000
  - Marketing Communications Associate: $45,000-$60,000
  - Assistant Media Planner: $45,000-$60,000
  - Content Strategist: $50,000-$65,000
  - Corporate Communications Specialist: $50,000-$65,000

  **Public Relations and Communications: $45,000-$65,000**

  - Public Relations Coordinator: $45,000-$60,000
  - Public Affairs Specialist: $50,000-$65,000
  - Community Relations Coordinator: $50,000-$65,000

  **Consumer Insights: $50,000-$70,000**

  - Marketing Research Associate: $50,000-$70,000
  - Data Analyst: $50,000-$70,000
  - Research Analyst: $50,000-$70,000

  **Digital Marketing: $40,000-$65,000**

  - Digital Marketing Specialist: $45,000-$65,000
  - Search Engine Optimization Analyst: $45,000-$60,000
  - Social Media Strategist: $40,000-$55,000
  - eCommerce Analyst: $45,000-$65,000

  **Product and Brand Management: $50,000-$100,000**

  - Marketing Associate: $50,000-$65,000
  - Associate Brand Manager: $90,000-$100,000
  - Product Marketing Specialist: $55,000-$70,000
  - Marketing Strategist: $55,000-$70,000

  **Advertising: $45,000-$70,000**

  - Account Executive: $45,000-$65,000
  - Media Planner: $45,000-$65,000
  - Promotions Manager: $45,000-$65,000
  - Strategy Analyst: $45,000-$65,000
  - Creative Manager: $50,000-$70,000

## Where You Can Go in Computer Science

Computer Science is a dynamic and exciting field with many different opportunities and career pathways. Depending on your specific skills and interests, you can consider working as a software engineer, web designer, IT hardware specialist, data scientist, product manager, cyber security analyst, and more!

Our recruiting partners work closely with the University to help students launch successful and rewarding careers in computer science. Entry-level computer science positions typically pay a salary between $50,000 and $80,000.

Geography and cost-of-living can vary and affect entry-level salary. For example, starting salaries range as high as $100,000 - $150,000 for software engineering roles at top tier employers and in major metropolitan areas. Additionally, computer science full-time offers may include components such as stock options, signing bonuses, relocation support, and other benefits which affect the overall total compensation.

Median entry-level salaries for specific computer science roles include:

- ## Software Engineering

  - Software Engineer: $75,905
  - Back End Developer: $61,042
  - Full Stack Developer: $64,869
  - Front End Developer: $59,975
  - Machine Learning Engineer: $94,093
  - Web Developer: $50,530

- ## Data Science & Analytics

  - Data Analyst: $55,460
  - Data Engineer: $77,406
  - Data Scientist: $85,839

- ## Product Management & Design

  - Product Designer: $71,852
  - Product Manager: $78,931
  - User Interface Designer: $49,661
  - User Experience Designer: $63,356

## Where You Can Go in Education

Whether you’re interested in schools or analyzing how to make them better, education offers many career opportunities drawing on a wide range of skills. Examples of the rewarding career paths in education include teaching, education administration, research, policy, and volunteer corps programs such as Teach for America and AmeriCorps. Below is an overview of different career paths in education and median entry-level salaries for each.

- ## Education Career Paths

  - Teacher:

    - Elementary School: $39,709
    - High School: $41,264
    - Teach for America: Depends on placement city
  - School District Testing Coordinator: $44,000 – $61,000
  - Education and Child Development Research Assistant: $28,000-$42,000
  - Child Development and Education Manager: $60,000
  - AmeriCorps (Vista, City Year, Peace Corps): Depends on placement city
  - Curriculum & Instruction Program Specialist: $30,000
  - Statistician: $52,000-$91,000
  - Program Compliance Monitor: $52,000-$67,000
  - Research Assistant: $53,000-$83,000

## Where You Can Go in Healthcare

There are many exciting career pathways in healthcare. In addition to traditional clinical careers such as medicine and nursing, the field offers many opportunities in sub-industries such as medical research, healthcare consulting, health policy, health services technology, and hospital administration.

Most medical careers require graduate education, but there are many entry-level opportunities in healthcare that are open to those with Bachelor’s degrees. Below is an overview of different career paths in healthcare with median entry-level salaries for each.

- ## Entry-Level Positions

  - Research Assistant: $36,853
  - Healthcare Consultant: $65,290
  - Project Manager: $55,997 (not necessarily non-profit)
  - Account Manager (health system or medical services): $65,701
  - Hospital Services Administrator: $64,265
  - Patient Care Coordinator: $40,274
  - Health Policy Analyst: $52,895

- ## Allied Health Careers (required graduate education)

  - Physician Assistant: $89,829
  - Registered Nurse: $56,421
  - Nurse Practitioner: $90,727
  - General Dentist: $120,264

- ## Post-MD Residency

  Residency salaries are generally around $63,000, which may be adjusted slightly based on state/cost-of-living and specialty.

- ## Post-MD Specialty

  - Emergency Room Physician: $209,350
  - General Practitioner or Internist: $187,387
  - Cardiac Surgeon: $295,490
  - Dermatologist: $230,861
  - Psychiatrist: $195,344

## Where You Can Go in Journalism & Creative Writing

Writing and editing are highly versatile skills that you can apply to a wide range of career paths, including journalism, publishing, fiction writing, and communications. Depending on your individual interests, you could consider working at publications such as newspapers and magazines, media production agencies, publishing houses, or even as an independent freelancer.

Below is a list of representative storytelling careers with entry-level median salaries for each.

- ## Publishing & Editing

  - Copy Editor: $39,068
  - Production Editor: $40,337
  - Communications Manager: $45,558

- ## Creative Writing

  - Script Writer: $50,000
  - Writer/Author: $49,936

- ## Journalism

  - Journalist: $30,923
  - News Reporter: $29,169

## Where You Can Go in Law

Legal careers give you the opportunity to serve a range of clients from individuals to large corporations. You can practice law in local, state, and federal government agencies, legal nonprofits, corporations, or private law firms of any size. Or you could be a judge! You can also specialize in any number of different areas, including criminal law, corporate law, environmental law, immigration law, tax law, civil rights law and many more.

- ## Taking Time before Law School

  To practice law, you must attend law school, obtain a Juris Doctor degree and pass the bar examination.  Most students take a couple of years off before applying to law school and work in a variety of professions from consulting to finance to journalism to film to nonprofits such as Teach for America, the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps.  Some students want to gain closer familiarity with the actual practice of law through legal assistant or paralegal positions. The average salary for paralegal positions is $48,000. Legal Assistant positions are available in law firms (mostly in the larger firms) and in the public sector.

- ## Law School Merit Aid

  When UChicago students apply to law school, they usually receive significant scholarship incentives totaling on average $12-15,000,000 per cycle for the entire applicant pool, including many offers of “full rides.”

- ## Salaries for Post-JD Positions

  Entry-level salaries for post-JD Positions depend both on the type of client a lawyer has and the type of organization where the lawyer works.  Salaries will vary by location depending on the cost of living.

  - Associates at large law firms (generally 100+ attorneys and primarily with large corporate clients) often start at over $200,000
  - Associates at smaller firms (with mid-sized or small business clients and individuals) start at between $50,000 and $100,000
  - Entry-level government attorneys:  $45,000-55,000 for local and state government; $50,000-65,000 for federal government
  - Entry-level attorneys at nonprofits:  $40,000-60,000

## Where You Can Go in Science, Computation, Innovation, and Engineering

The number of career opportunities in STEM are as varied as the sciences themselves. Whether you’re interested in advancing scientific knowledge or applying these findings to help solve problems, there are many exciting career paths for scientists and engineers in academia, government, and industry.

Check out the list below for sample career paths in science, computation, innovation, and engineering and median entry-level salaries for each. Geography and cost-of-living can vary and affect entry-level salary. Starting salaries may be higher in major metropolitan areas and at large organizations. For support in navigating the offer process, schedule an appointment with a Career Advancement adviser.

- ## Engineering and Industry

  - Biologist: $42,320
  - Chemist: $48,548
  - Environmental Scientist: $43,576
  - Biomedical Engineer: $61,958
  - Chemical Engineer: $67,436
  - Physicist: $60,882
  - Research & Development Engineer: $67,767
  - Statistician: $65,857

- ## Research Sciences

  - Advanced Degree Required

    - PhD student in your area of interest
    - Masters student in your area of interest
    - Post-doctoral student
    - University professor
  - Laboratory Manager:  $49,523
  - Research Assistant: $50,902
  - Research Scientist:  $75,735

## Where You Can Go in Arts, Culture & Entertainment

If you’re passionate about the arts, you have a wide range of career paths you can explore. These include artistic practice, arts administration, cultural institutions, and both business and creative roles in the entertainment industry.

Take a look at the list below for a list of sample careers in arts, culture, and entertainment and median entry-level salaries for each.

Starting salaries in arts, culture, and entertainment can vary widely depending on the specific role and employer. The data below provides median salary information for the industry as a whole. Students working with large entertainment companies and high-profile cultural institutions can expect to earn higher salaries.

- ## Performing Arts & Entertainment

  - Actor: $41,049
  - Musician & Singer:  $40,504
  - Composer: $38,974
  - Dancer: $33,958
  - Talent Agent: $41,866
  - Film/TV Producer: $50,482
  - Film/TV Editor: $39,545

- ## Visual Arts & Museums/Curation

  - Museum Curator: $40,588
  - Artist: $37,281
  - Arts Teacher: $38,824

- ## Gaming & Media Design

  - Game Designer: $51,874
  - Game Programmer: $65,043
  - Graphic Designer: $38,434

- ## Architecture & Design

  - Architect (advanced degree required): $49,666
  - Architectural Designer:  $47,398