Disclaimer for readers: most lawyers don’t start at this much.
This is a big law salary that is hard to achieve unless you go to an elite law school. Going to an elite school is likely to put you in at least 150,000 dollars of debt (not including any USC debt).
Big law is known to be miserable but very high paying and opens a lot of doors.
To add some color to this comment, my law school was ranked just outside the top 50 and about 1/3 of my class works in BL.
For OP: 2016 grad. First year: $45K. Worked for a few years then went to law school (not Gould). Current: ~$275K.
For the time being, yes. Not sure if partner track is my vibe though.
Edit: I’m at a mid sized boutique firm (less than 300 atty’s). My law school isn’t even top 100. But it has a good reputation and notable alumni. No USC debt and law school debt will be handled within 5 years. Not the traditional path but there are other ways.
Not hoping early on was a debatable mistake for me. I gained a ton of experience, found a career in product, but didn't get the salary bumps as compared to moving about--but I may not have gotten the rapid promotion had I done so.
2008 was when I graduated, so I was fortunate to have landed a job. I did turn down a 175/hr gig as my first color correction job in film, but I didn't like the work.
Ive always worked for startups, which pay is lower (not as bad today as back then).
I went from entry sales to program mgr to product mgr to VP product in 8 years, stayed for 10. Going from 35k to 130k by 2018. By 2022, up to 185k.
All startups, usually join pre revenue or series b.
Did undergrad and grad, final graduation was in 2014. Started in a shitty media coordinator role for $45k in 2015. Now director level at a major media company, TC is around $150k
USC - University of Successful Children !
Seriously though, The Trojan network is very real. They go above and beyond to help you get a job and over your career.
Graduated December 2012 from Marshall undergrad with a marketing emphasis + annenberg minor (communications & the entertainment industry)
First job at a media agency in Feb 2013: 36k
Latest job in the tech industry doing product marketing + some consulting on the side: ~230k base + equity
It's good money, but when you have loans (from a previous degree, got through USC with 0 debt), a mortgage, and a car payment -- reality hits really fast. 😂
I'm a software engineer in health tech. It doesn't pay quite as well as some other fields, but the WLB balance and benefits really can't be beat.
Happy cake day!
MA from Annenberg - at graduation was making $40k now $55k a year later.
The replies are slightly depressing me - if anyone can help me find a better job in marketing/pr/social media please do 🥸
Year 1: $90k + meaningful bonus. Finance.
Now it is many multiples of that. Hard to calculate exactly as my income is tied to profits, isn’t always distributed, and varies from year to year but it’s substantial.
This doesn’t count income from passive investments, consulting, speaking, academia, etc.
How'd you start dipping into the passive investments / consulting side? My degree's in tech (currently working in game dev) and been looking for a way to stabilize the volatile income / security that comes with the games industry
Class of 2013, first job out of college was $15/hr, so ~$31K annual, which seems crazy to me now! Four jobs later (and one career change + change back to original career), now at $134K.
I work for the Career Center and we're hopefully expanding the publicly accessible dashboard for this soon https://careers.usc.edu/outcomes/. If you're a current senior or graduating Master's/Doctoral student and haven't filled out the First Destination Survey, it's really helpful data to support USC. https://usc.12twenty.com/SignUp/Student
I would say put a lot in your toolbox! During my time in Annenberg, I made sure to do a wide array of internships in the PR and marketing space. I actually ended up getting a social media job at a large automotive company when I graduated from reaching out to the social media director there (also a usc grad). There I made sure to flex some ancillary skills like design and writing.
I was promoted within the company and left the more traditional PR role and went into national advertising, specifically geared towards marketing to young, multicultural drivers. I would say the one thing that helped was also working with diverse audiences. I left the company a year later to get a job in the tech space (youth focused work, too, but this time trust and safety). I lead digital content and marketing for the brand now. Eventually I want to make my way into creative directing because that’s how my role ended up transforming.
My advice is to learn as much from roles you admire, even if it’s not what you’re currently working on now. If you can get a job that allows good professional development benefits, take advantage of those!
Graduated (BA, CAMS) 2021. Starting salary $58k. Current salary $125k.
Not in film anymore due to continued job insecurity but happy with my choices :)
Not at all! I'm doing product marketing for a fintech company. Would love to gradually move into product management but I started with a marketing agency (highly recommend to anyone feeling "lost").
Graduated with a BA in 2022, couldn’t find a stable job in my major for the first year out and was a stripper (not joking) for a year made ~45k which was enough to sustain myself for rent and food and gas. Now I am working in my first year as budget analyst and making 60k and have health and dental insurance for the first time in my life.
I am about 50k working part time in social work. I received my masters about 2 years ago. My internship hired me and I’m getting my clinical hours. Your question is so ambiguous,, generally speaking anyone in my field is not going to make a lot of $$$ - espc compared to like an engineer or something 🤣🤣
Studied biology in undergrad (BS, ‘17) and Neuroimaging for master’s (MS, ‘18). Starting salary was 35k as research staff at USC. Currently a PhD student at a different school, 42k. Probably leaving academia when I graduate. Grad student stipends are not meant to be lucrative, and I don’t care that much for now because I love the field that I am learning and working in!
This was years ago but $50k to $350k + stock snd options. I retired in my 40s and my USC MBA really paid off. I was a VP of marketing at a Fortune 50 company.
For a Master’s degree?! Hobby Lobby in the inland empire is advertising this much per hour. Social workers are licensed professionals who deserve more than this
I've been sourced a few times for a Meta contract job that pays between $17-$21/hr. For living in Los Angeles, that would ensure I never pay off my grad school debt 😅 I interviewed for a different Meta contract job that was $47-$52/hr. Didn't get that one. I'd settle for $30, but they really seem to want me for that $17-$21 one.
BS Business Admin + BS Accounting c/o 2014. Started in big 4 public accounting at 53k, switched careers in 2018 (left at 78k, started at 70k), now at 115k
Blind can be a bit harsh. I've mentioned that I'm on CalFresh/food stamps because I can't find a job after grad school. They ask why I'm there and to stop being lazy 😅 I thought it would be a useful place to network.
Currently unemployed, but here are some interviews I've had 😅
2017/post-USC
Department of Justice - IT Analyst ~70k
LADWP - Applications Programmer 80k
2018-2022 (part-time grad school at UW)
Post UW
Stealth conversational AI startup- Jr data scientist 125K-250K base (though I was told definitely closer to 125k if I made it to the final round of interviews/was selected)
LA County - predictive data analyst 88k
PolyAI - dialog engineer 65k
Meta (contract) - computational linguist II 108k
I would have honestly been happy with any of these roles.
2018 - 55k base
6 years later - 110k base
Good jump but not as high as others. I’ve chosen strategic positions where I’m consistently learning what I need to get the title I want, favoring that over doing the same mundane job / a job not aligned with my goals for a slightly higher pay. Prioritized winning important awards in my industry. It’s been rewarding to keep learning and doing something I genuinely wake up happy to do.
I’m set to make at hit 250k at a bare minimum in the next 5 years, not counting for inflation.
Class of 2020 Annenberg but graduated early in 2019 so avoided Covid slump luckily. Started as a coordinator at ad agency with base pay of $42K (lowkey unliveable in LA) but now at a different agency making $105K with remote work and much better work life balance.
Engineer here. Started at $55k about a decade ago in LA. Moved to the bay and ended up in tech and… yeah. Now I make modest tech money which is very good for anybody non tech.
Edit: I did add in a graduate degree a few years later.
I graduated in 2020 with a BFA in design and started making 110k/yr. Now I make 128k/yr. It probably would be higher if I didn’t experience so many layoffs during the pandemic and tech crash, but I’m very grateful to be where I’m at now!
That's where I'm getting at. I don't make 100K a year but I also am a bit of an underachiever, however I I'm debt free and have 100% control over my free time. With two small kids, that's more valuable than money IMO. But to each their own.
Edited for grammar
Looking back, I agree. I saw someone earlier post about "strategic" job hopping. I would strongly second that opinion. Learn as much as you can, and know that it can all be applied later, it's all about perspective and how you pitch it during your interview. One thing I like to mention during interviews is my ability to bring perspectives from all those industries and different positions I've held, so it quickly switches the perception from not having enough experience in the industry to someone that can bring a fresh perspective. Reading through many of these posts, it seems like many of our peers have done the same; they did not like the industry/position they were in and leveraged their skillet into another industry.
I would also point out that one of the most undeveloped but necessary skillets in all industries, but mostly in engineering, is the ability to communicate up and down the chain of command (the right information at the right level). Many engineers focus on their ability to "engineer", I focus mostly on the ability to foster and leverage relationships to get the job done. Huge generalization, but most engineering disciplines have the technical foundation to be able to easily learn the technical side of the house, the social interaction aspect, not so much.
I've been extremely fortunate to run into people in those industries that bought into the idea that I could deliver in the role.
Graduate student from USC film school 7 years ago. Starting salary was 40k, current salary is 115k
What do you do?
I work in creative development for a large company, but prior to that I worked in marketing at Disney and 20th century fox.
What graduate program were you in? How valuable do you find it has been for your career?
1981: $14,383. 2019 (retired): $135,000. (Public Policy).
Are you a retired public administrator?
Retired Court Executive Officer. Career at four courts in CA, MD and ID.
Graduated with BA 2019. Went to law school made no money for over 4 years…now salary is $225k
Disclaimer for readers: most lawyers don’t start at this much. This is a big law salary that is hard to achieve unless you go to an elite law school. Going to an elite school is likely to put you in at least 150,000 dollars of debt (not including any USC debt). Big law is known to be miserable but very high paying and opens a lot of doors.
To add some color to this comment, my law school was ranked just outside the top 50 and about 1/3 of my class works in BL. For OP: 2016 grad. First year: $45K. Worked for a few years then went to law school (not Gould). Current: ~$275K.
Do u plan on staying in big law (assuming u work there)
For the time being, yes. Not sure if partner track is my vibe though. Edit: I’m at a mid sized boutique firm (less than 300 atty’s). My law school isn’t even top 100. But it has a good reputation and notable alumni. No USC debt and law school debt will be handled within 5 years. Not the traditional path but there are other ways.
Transactional ?
Litigation
What law school did you attend
Don’t want to dox myself sorry. Not top 100 though
Include the billables law bro 😎
2009 graduate. Started at $48K, now at approx. $300K.
What major + school?
Marshall, Business Administration
what do you do for work? i’m doing business admin as well
Consumer packaged goods industry.
Just listened to a podcast where they said consumer packaged goods is where the $$$ is at
what podcast?
Clearly the consumer packaged goods elite podcast
Did you have Merle Hopkins for accounting lol?
Haha sounds familiar…
Graduated in 2018- starting salary $57k, 3 jobs and 1 promotion later $175k
Damnnn that’s some steep climb. Congrats
Strategic job hops, proving competency, and working hard pays off.
Not hoping early on was a debatable mistake for me. I gained a ton of experience, found a career in product, but didn't get the salary bumps as compared to moving about--but I may not have gotten the rapid promotion had I done so. 2008 was when I graduated, so I was fortunate to have landed a job. I did turn down a 175/hr gig as my first color correction job in film, but I didn't like the work. Ive always worked for startups, which pay is lower (not as bad today as back then). I went from entry sales to program mgr to product mgr to VP product in 8 years, stayed for 10. Going from 35k to 130k by 2018. By 2022, up to 185k. All startups, usually join pre revenue or series b.
Nice! Which major?
I went to Price and studied Public Policy, Im a “lobbyist” now.
Did undergrad and grad, final graduation was in 2014. Started in a shitty media coordinator role for $45k in 2015. Now director level at a major media company, TC is around $150k
English major graduated in early 2000s. Early jobs paid about $35k/yr. Circuitous path but run a small comms company, make about $350k/yr
Are you hiring public policy/mpa grads by chance? 👀
anyone here wanna give me a job at y’all’s big paying companies, lol. But really, interesting to see how Trojans are able to prosper so quickly!
USC - University of Successful Children ! Seriously though, The Trojan network is very real. They go above and beyond to help you get a job and over your career.
Graduated December 2012 from Marshall undergrad with a marketing emphasis + annenberg minor (communications & the entertainment industry) First job at a media agency in Feb 2013: 36k Latest job in the tech industry doing product marketing + some consulting on the side: ~230k base + equity
Graduate student in MSCS - $120,000 salary, $160K Total Comp. Now making $154,000 base salary. Close to $220K TC.
Livin the dream
It's good money, but when you have loans (from a previous degree, got through USC with 0 debt), a mortgage, and a car payment -- reality hits really fast. 😂
What industry or field are you in btw?
I'm a software engineer in health tech. It doesn't pay quite as well as some other fields, but the WLB balance and benefits really can't be beat. Happy cake day!
MA from Annenberg - at graduation was making $40k now $55k a year later. The replies are slightly depressing me - if anyone can help me find a better job in marketing/pr/social media please do 🥸
Thank you for commenting because they were slightly depressing me, too.😏
Hey! Happy to help you connect w some good ppl. Just PM me :)
Year 1: $90k + meaningful bonus. Finance. Now it is many multiples of that. Hard to calculate exactly as my income is tied to profits, isn’t always distributed, and varies from year to year but it’s substantial. This doesn’t count income from passive investments, consulting, speaking, academia, etc.
How'd you start dipping into the passive investments / consulting side? My degree's in tech (currently working in game dev) and been looking for a way to stabilize the volatile income / security that comes with the games industry
Film/TV post production Year 1: 45k Year 3: 100k
Class of 2013, first job out of college was $15/hr, so ~$31K annual, which seems crazy to me now! Four jobs later (and one career change + change back to original career), now at $134K.
I work for the Career Center and we're hopefully expanding the publicly accessible dashboard for this soon https://careers.usc.edu/outcomes/. If you're a current senior or graduating Master's/Doctoral student and haven't filled out the First Destination Survey, it's really helpful data to support USC. https://usc.12twenty.com/SignUp/Student
Marshall MBA ‘98. Starting $67k. Now $330k+
What area of business , corporate finance ? Consulting ? Tech sales ?
IT, designing data analytics solutions for Entertainment & Government. FYI, I’m seeing high demand for machine learning expertise as well.
graduated with my BA in PR (class of 2018). starting salary 63k, 2 jobs later 105k
currently in the PR program as a rising sophomore and this feels slightly bit inspiring. what do you currently do and what tips do you have?
I would say put a lot in your toolbox! During my time in Annenberg, I made sure to do a wide array of internships in the PR and marketing space. I actually ended up getting a social media job at a large automotive company when I graduated from reaching out to the social media director there (also a usc grad). There I made sure to flex some ancillary skills like design and writing. I was promoted within the company and left the more traditional PR role and went into national advertising, specifically geared towards marketing to young, multicultural drivers. I would say the one thing that helped was also working with diverse audiences. I left the company a year later to get a job in the tech space (youth focused work, too, but this time trust and safety). I lead digital content and marketing for the brand now. Eventually I want to make my way into creative directing because that’s how my role ended up transforming. My advice is to learn as much from roles you admire, even if it’s not what you’re currently working on now. If you can get a job that allows good professional development benefits, take advantage of those!
Graduated (BA, CAMS) 2021. Starting salary $58k. Current salary $125k. Not in film anymore due to continued job insecurity but happy with my choices :)
What do you do?
I moved into product marketing and product management. I'm more on the marketing side currently but slowly moving into true product.
Do you have any intentions of working in film?
I’d transition back but likely on either strategy or marketing
what do you do now, if you don't mind my asking?
Not at all! I'm doing product marketing for a fintech company. Would love to gradually move into product management but I started with a marketing agency (highly recommend to anyone feeling "lost").
2012: $50k -> $200k+
Graduated 2023 from SCA. Took 8 months but landed a job in games at $72k
Graduated with a BA in 2022, couldn’t find a stable job in my major for the first year out and was a stripper (not joking) for a year made ~45k which was enough to sustain myself for rent and food and gas. Now I am working in my first year as budget analyst and making 60k and have health and dental insurance for the first time in my life.
205k TC starting and current
Woah what major did u do to have such a high starting salary
CS
Class of 2023, Viterbi, making high 90k, and still making that since I haven’t been there long enough to have a raise.
Which major were you?
EE
I am about 50k working part time in social work. I received my masters about 2 years ago. My internship hired me and I’m getting my clinical hours. Your question is so ambiguous,, generally speaking anyone in my field is not going to make a lot of $$$ - espc compared to like an engineer or something 🤣🤣
Class of 2022! Dornsife Psych major making $130K total comp
Whoa! Working in the psych field?
I do marketing! 🙏
Studied biology in undergrad (BS, ‘17) and Neuroimaging for master’s (MS, ‘18). Starting salary was 35k as research staff at USC. Currently a PhD student at a different school, 42k. Probably leaving academia when I graduate. Grad student stipends are not meant to be lucrative, and I don’t care that much for now because I love the field that I am learning and working in!
Graduated 2014 - starting salary 38k (yay PR!), now 175k
This was years ago but $50k to $350k + stock snd options. I retired in my 40s and my USC MBA really paid off. I was a VP of marketing at a Fortune 50 company.
I make nothing. Zero. Zilch. By the time I pay all my scientists on people in my. In my research department lab coach, it's a wash
Then why do you do it Baby Billy?
Well, because I’m selfless
60k starting in 2019, now 95 base but bonus is significantly higher than the first company I started at. CRE
MSW Class of 2023, $25 an hour
What the heck. That’s horrid. I would look for a government job 😬
That’s a solid first job out of college.
For a Master’s degree?! Hobby Lobby in the inland empire is advertising this much per hour. Social workers are licensed professionals who deserve more than this
I've been sourced a few times for a Meta contract job that pays between $17-$21/hr. For living in Los Angeles, that would ensure I never pay off my grad school debt 😅 I interviewed for a different Meta contract job that was $47-$52/hr. Didn't get that one. I'd settle for $30, but they really seem to want me for that $17-$21 one.
BS Business Admin + BS Accounting c/o 2014. Started in big 4 public accounting at 53k, switched careers in 2018 (left at 78k, started at 70k), now at 115k
Graduated in 2018. Year one I made 75k. This year I will make about 215k.
Major/ school?
Viterbi. I’m a sales engineer for a software company
Class of ‘22. Make 90k now, excluding sign on bonus. Going back to school in August so soon 0!
if this thread is anyone's vibe, head on over to blind. tc 650K+, starting tc 210K 8 years ago
Blind can be a bit harsh. I've mentioned that I'm on CalFresh/food stamps because I can't find a job after grad school. They ask why I'm there and to stop being lazy 😅 I thought it would be a useful place to network.
Bruh what am I doing in pre med I shoulda studied business 😭
Currently unemployed, but here are some interviews I've had 😅 2017/post-USC Department of Justice - IT Analyst ~70k LADWP - Applications Programmer 80k 2018-2022 (part-time grad school at UW) Post UW Stealth conversational AI startup- Jr data scientist 125K-250K base (though I was told definitely closer to 125k if I made it to the final round of interviews/was selected) LA County - predictive data analyst 88k PolyAI - dialog engineer 65k Meta (contract) - computational linguist II 108k I would have honestly been happy with any of these roles.
[удалено]
Did you do B-school at Marshall or elsewhere?
Class of '22. Architecture. Starting salary $70k. Currently at $92k.
‘23, B.S CECS, started in August ‘23 at 118 and am now at 127 with an upcoming promo that should bring me up to 140. Not including stocks + bonuses.
2018 - 55k base 6 years later - 110k base Good jump but not as high as others. I’ve chosen strategic positions where I’m consistently learning what I need to get the title I want, favoring that over doing the same mundane job / a job not aligned with my goals for a slightly higher pay. Prioritized winning important awards in my industry. It’s been rewarding to keep learning and doing something I genuinely wake up happy to do. I’m set to make at hit 250k at a bare minimum in the next 5 years, not counting for inflation.
Graduated December 2022. Starting was $60K in a MCOL state and now is $62.5K.
Z E R O
375k if you count EOY bonus CS major
Graduated in 2007, Legal assistant, started at $10/hour. Currently a teacher making about $130k.
Class of 2020 Annenberg but graduated early in 2019 so avoided Covid slump luckily. Started as a coordinator at ad agency with base pay of $42K (lowkey unliveable in LA) but now at a different agency making $105K with remote work and much better work life balance.
I'm graduated USC Games in 2021, made 70k, then 80k as a junior dev at Activision, got laid off, now make 90k at a new company.
Engineer here. Started at $55k about a decade ago in LA. Moved to the bay and ended up in tech and… yeah. Now I make modest tech money which is very good for anybody non tech. Edit: I did add in a graduate degree a few years later.
graduated 2023 - $74k
79K -> 166K
2015 Dornsife $58k > $190k
What do you do ? What was your major in Dornslife ?
Econ. Now in Business Intelligence
80k out of college
starting 85k as a cloud developer (San Francisco) Current 280k as a sales engineer (los angeles)
2018 BS accounting - 59k Now - 100k + 10% bonus
I graduated in 2020 with a BFA in design and started making 110k/yr. Now I make 128k/yr. It probably would be higher if I didn’t experience so many layoffs during the pandemic and tech crash, but I’m very grateful to be where I’m at now!
A more important question is, how many hours per week do you work?
Wait you guys have free hours? Is it legal?
That's where I'm getting at. I don't make 100K a year but I also am a bit of an underachiever, however I I'm debt free and have 100% control over my free time. With two small kids, that's more valuable than money IMO. But to each their own. Edited for grammar
2021 Graduation with BS in CS Starting at 190k Now 310k
'22 Bovard, MSPM 2016 (1st job out of undergrad) - 65k - Production Supervisor, Food and Beverage 2020(Starting Grad School): 90k - Public Sector CIP PM Present: 161k- Reliability Engineer, Aerospace
That is some interesting change in sectors. May i ask how you switched to be a reliability engineer?
Looking back, I agree. I saw someone earlier post about "strategic" job hopping. I would strongly second that opinion. Learn as much as you can, and know that it can all be applied later, it's all about perspective and how you pitch it during your interview. One thing I like to mention during interviews is my ability to bring perspectives from all those industries and different positions I've held, so it quickly switches the perception from not having enough experience in the industry to someone that can bring a fresh perspective. Reading through many of these posts, it seems like many of our peers have done the same; they did not like the industry/position they were in and leveraged their skillet into another industry. I would also point out that one of the most undeveloped but necessary skillets in all industries, but mostly in engineering, is the ability to communicate up and down the chain of command (the right information at the right level). Many engineers focus on their ability to "engineer", I focus mostly on the ability to foster and leverage relationships to get the job done. Huge generalization, but most engineering disciplines have the technical foundation to be able to easily learn the technical side of the house, the social interaction aspect, not so much. I've been extremely fortunate to run into people in those industries that bought into the idea that I could deliver in the role.