Western Michigan University campus

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WMU Salaries

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  • 4 Year
  • Kalamazoo, MI
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#7 Best Public Universities in Michigan
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Western Michigan University

This page shows median first-year earnings for WMU 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 $33,000 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $48,900. 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 $68,800 , followed by Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians at $67,300 , and Mechanical Engineering at $66,400 .

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 $102,300 , followed by Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) at $80,000 , and Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $71,500 .

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

Median first-year earnings for Western Michigan University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) $102,300
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) $80,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $71,500
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $68,800
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,300
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $66,400
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degree) $65,200
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,000
Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,200
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,200
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $60,900
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $59,100
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $57,300
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) $56,400
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,300
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $54,900
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Bachelor’s Degree) $52,500
Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $51,700
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $49,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,000
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $48,400
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $48,200
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Bachelor’s Degree) $47,900
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $47,800
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) $45,500
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) $44,000
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,200
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $43,200
Social Work (Master's Degree) $42,600
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,300
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,900
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Graduate/Professional Certificate) $41,700
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) $41,600
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,900
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) $39,500
Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,800
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) $37,400
Air Transportation (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,200
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,800
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,100
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,000
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,900
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,600
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,400
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,200
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,100
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,800
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,800
Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,300
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,900
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,700
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,700
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,600
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,100
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,500
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,100
Music (Master's Degree) $24,800
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,800
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,500
Dance (Bachelor’s Degree) $19,400
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $17,200

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Western Michigan University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=172699.

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

Last updated: August 2026