Gen Z College Graduates Are Overestimating Their Average Starting Salary by $50K

Our senior manufacturing engineer makes 70K.

Our design engineer makes 80-85K.

I'm an engineering technician and I make 52K and that's without a bachelor's degree and I've been at this a few years.

I wish these kids would realize that they need to bring something far greater to the table.

Now, I am about to switch industries and that will bring me up to 60-70K, but aviation is very specialized. Particularly what I'll be doing and my experience level.

Inflation and the cost of everything sucks. Hopefully Gen Z will realize this and vote in some people that will fix it.

a reply to: Daughter2

Good for them. If workers received the same share of profits they did back in the 1950 -70's, college graduates would be making a 100k. Instead, they are making 50k and the extra 50k is going to the 1%.

That's not the way it works (or worked) .
Back in my day , when a company hired a person straight out of school , the employer knew that it was most likely for life (or close thereabouts) .
As the person worked there , they earned raises based on merit .

Roll forward to today.
Young ones get hired , find out what work is about , and leave because "that's too hard" .
In the 2 months they manage to stick it out , they have already asked their boss for a raise 25 times.
So the boss is glad when they leave.

That's how it works .

I had a gen Z guy applying for a starting position this week. He was asking 65 k to start in a position that pay 40. When I got the results of his placement test his score was 68 out of a 100.

It’s time to grow up, loose the man bun, and cowboy up.

a reply to: infolurker

Its because of this attitude:

"I deseeeerve thiiis"

a reply to: everyone

She's not even close to being in the Gen Z age range which is the generation being discussed in the Original Post.

Idiots.

a reply to: Brotherman

I was lucky enough to be able make a career of the Corps. With retirement and disability I'm getting about 60k/yr.

I'll be 40 this year and I'm in college full time now for Emergency Management using the GI Bill. I should be done in about 3 more semesters.

I'll be lucky if I can get a starting job in my field making 50k with a degree and real world experience managing emergencies.

But these kids I'm in school with have almost zero work ethic. It's easy to tell which ones are on scholarships because they don't come to class on Thursdays or Fridays.

And the school doesn't want to lose their tuition dollars so they force the professors to extend deadlines (by months sometimes), they give out tons of extra credit, pretty much the school drags them to graduation as long as they show up more than half the time.

I think this where a lot of the new graduates entitlement is coming from, being handed degrees in college, allowed to graduate high school when they can't read past a 6th grade level...

It's ridiculous.

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
I spoke to a gen z’er last week and she told me she wanted to be a wedding photographer because they earn 116,000 dollars a year.

I balked. Hahahaha

Good luck. Lol

I have this suspicion that she thinks she can get away with doing 1 wedding a week using her iphone. And still expect 100K a year. Doing just weddings. With a iphone.

10 years ago this would have been perceived as humor. Now we all go like "Myeah, probably".

a reply to: Nickn3

And wear socks to work. Naked man-ankles in a business environment, yech.

Cheers

5 Summer interns in my group and one already has quit showing up most of the time. They were informed that next Thursday the 30th would be their last day unless they have a good reason. Today is the trigger day and no response so far. Badge and computer get shut off at 5 this afternoon. But still paid till the end of the month. Noter Dame kid so we expected better. First real job and couldn't handle it. Didn't want a schedule for the summer is what I hear.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: infolurker
What can you do that merits a starting salary over 100K?

If any of them have a degree in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, software development or HR our company will hirer them, we are 30 positions short in our division alone and all are high paying roles. We cannot find enough people due to the shortage of workers.

Bet there are plenty of English and poli sci majors though.

originally posted by: TheUniverse2

Why wouldn't younger people live longer and see better tech than older people? Unless you think their generation is so dumb that they will all die young?

You point out the obvious, but when a 20 yearold says they will outlive you they have a long way to go that the person 60 has already overcome.

originally posted by: CptGreenTea
a reply to: scrounger

Except the 1% keeps making more money than ever before.

first they "allow it" because (as long as legal) THATS HOW CAPITALISM WORKS. other systems also "allow it" because the "1 percent" ALWAYS find a way.. if monarchy they become royalty or socialsm/communism they become "party leaders" . ONLY IN CAPITALISM is realistic to come from nothing and be wealthy.. countless examples of this EVEN TODAY if one is willing to work hard, make sacrifices now for better later, and has the right talent/product/service people want.

As a society why should we allow this?

because we are CAPTITALIST NOT COMMUNIST. again which part of even in communist/socialist the "1 percent" exist. only there most people CANNOT BECOME RICH where here you can.. btw WHAT IN HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TELL ANYONE HOW MUCH THEY CAN LEGALLY MAKE? WHO GAVE YOU THAT POWER YOU IGNORANT CHILD

How is it benificial for the wealth gap to ne alarmingly increasing?

I know you dont want to hear this but in a BOOMING ECONOMY (like we used to have) EVERYONE BENEFITS.. everyone can improve their situation IF THEY CHOOSE TO WORK HARD AND WORK WHERE THE MONEY IS. you dont benefit the poor by going after the rich.. show me ONE PLACE this worked and worked for more than a year.

Kinda silly how upset you get if one person criticizes how our system caters to the rich.

i see your definition of "upset" is deflection from someone calling you out for the ignorant spoiled child you are. btw thats called FREEDOM OF SPEECH. its not only for what you want to hear. in this case its the truth and you dont like it

We should be able to criticize the massive greed and wealth gaps in society without being told to go to China.

no you can "criticize" by any words you choose what you like
thats your right.

what you cant do is DEMAND others FOLLOW OR DO WHAT YOU OPINON IS.
you cant make your OPINION the truth.

i pointed out the flaws in your logic and the outright BS (with facts) your claims are.

as for "moving to china" comment
if your not happy here and think our system is bad, we point out that you CAN LEAVE to a place you find better.

we also point out that your whole opinion is that of a SPOILED CHILD that thinks everyone has to believe and follow what you say.. that because you said it it must be true.
then cant handle it when pointed out IT ISNT

scrounger

yaaaaawn. Another hate the younger crowd thread.

originally posted by: AutomateThis1v2
yaaaaawn. Another hate the younger crowd thread.

sigh

another person supporting adults who act as SPOILED CHILDREN who dont deal in reality.

expected and sad

scrounger

originally posted by: scrounger

originally posted by: AutomateThis1v2
yaaaaawn. Another hate the younger crowd thread.

sigh

another person supporting adults who act as SPOILED CHILDREN who dont deal in reality.

expected and sad

scrounger

le sigh again. It's actually quite funny the amount of 40+ year olds I see bitching about people younger than them, and they aren't any more mature if at all.

Just another person blaming the younger folks, because it's easier to blame children and teenagers and adults who've only been legally considered as much for about a decade give or take a few years.

Just something for you older folks to come together over and bond over complaining about the younger crowd. Yep, it's all out fault. We set the #show in motion long before our births.

Can't wait until all of those millennials and younger who have been politicians since the 90s and before get out soon and return power back to you old farts who miraculously brought us young folk to this point by doing exactly what your best at.

Sitting around and blaming everything but yourselves.

Yeah, it was even our idea to give ourselves participation trophies and passing grades on tests that don't actually measure intelligence.

You'd think the adults in the room would have had more wisdom than to supposedly give the kids everything they want.

Participation trophy? Lol I jever saw one.
No failed tests? Lol. I failed plenty, and almost didn't graduate.
Placing blame on younger folks and not taking accountability or living in the real world? Yeah, that's because the adults aren't being adults regardless of generation

So, yeah.. it's expected. You're argument is trash and one hundred percent relies on a strawman. So, weak it doesn't last a light rain shower.

originally posted by: TheUniverse2
a reply to: Xtrozero


Why wouldn't younger people live longer and see better tech than older people? Unless you think their generation is so dumb that they will all die young?

Fair enough but your previous post kinda sounded like what decade someone is born in is a personal achievement.

a reply to: infolurker

Not only do they expect overly high wages but there is an expectation of training.

After hearing “you didn’t train me for that” when there’s a screwup so many times we now are very specific in the job interview.

“We will train you on company policy and procedure and orient you around the workplace but we are hiring you as an Engineer. The expectation is that you perform as such without being trained to do so.”

It’s more difficult to make an excuse for poor performance after expectations are clear. We never used to have to explain this in the past though.

Whats really going to shock them is when more middle-aged farts like me switch careers and gather up the intro and middle level tech jobs just because we can adapt to new tech and show up and work hard. Pushing their window to get the better paying tech jobs back another 10-20 years.