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Northern Illinois Salaries

  • 6/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Dekalb, IL
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#4 Best Public Universities in Illinois
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Northern Illinois University

This page shows median first-year earnings for Northern Illinois graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $37,400 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $47,600. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering, with median first-year earnings of $64,100 , followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at $62,600 , and Mechanical Engineering at $59,900 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $89,500 , followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $86,400 , and Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) at $66,600 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for Northern Illinois University graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for Northern Illinois University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) $89,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $86,400
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) $66,600
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $64,100
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,600
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $61,700
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $59,900
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $58,600
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $57,400
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degree) $57,400
Engineering Technology (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,200
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,900
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,700
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $53,200
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) $49,700
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $48,900
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $48,400
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $48,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $47,900
Law (First Professional Degree) $45,200
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) $45,000
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,300
Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,700
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,700
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,500
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,900
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $39,300
Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,000
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Master's Degree) $37,800
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) $37,100
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,700
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,300
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,100
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,000
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,600
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,300
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,900
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,700
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,300
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,100
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,000
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,000
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,700
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,100
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,000
Human Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,700
Music (Master's Degree) $24,900
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,500
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,800
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) $23,100
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,100
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,200

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Northern Illinois University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147703.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026