Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus

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Southern Illinois University Salaries

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  • 4 Year
  • Carbondale, IL
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#7 Best Public Universities in Illinois
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

This page shows median first-year earnings for Southern Illinois University 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 $35,400 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $47,800. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

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

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Mechanical Engineering, with median first-year earnings of $61,100 , followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $60,700 , and Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at $55,000 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $100,600 , followed by Medicine (First Professional Degree) at $54,900 , and Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $52,600 .

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

Median first-year earnings for Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) $100,600
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,100
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $60,700
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,000
Medicine (First Professional Degree) $54,900
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,800
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $54,400
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $53,800
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $52,600
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) $52,000
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $51,300
Architecture (Master's Degree) $51,100
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $50,400
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $49,600
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,300
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $48,200
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $46,700
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Bachelor’s Degree) $45,000
Law (First Professional Degree) $44,800
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) $43,100
Architecture (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,900
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,600
Soil Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,900
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $40,500
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,400
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,700
Agriculture (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,400
Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,700
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,700
Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,600
Air Transportation (Associate's Degree) $38,300
Air Transportation (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,600
Social Work (Master's Degree) $36,400
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,200
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) $36,000
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $35,400
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degree) $35,100
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,300
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,800
Animal Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,600
Forestry (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,500
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,200
Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,100
Criminology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,400
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,100
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,000
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,500
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,400
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,900
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,200
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,400
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,400
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,100
Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,800
Zoology/Animal Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,500
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,300
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $18,800

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Southern Illinois University Carbondale often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=149222.

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

Last updated: August 2026