October 2, 2007
Agriculture graduates earn employment, higher salaries
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - May 2007 graduates of the Purdue University College of Agriculture are seeing an increase in job and graduate school placement and increased salaries as compared to previous years.Ninety percent of graduates were either employed or continuing their education as of Oct. 1. Those who were employed were earning an average salary of $39,631 for all degree fields. This is $3,397 higher than the 2006 average salary - an increase of nearly 10 percent.
"With 90 percent of our graduates placed within just a few months of graduation, we continue to see the value of a Purdue Agriculture degree," said Dale Whittaker, associate dean and director of academic programs. "The vigorous demand for our graduates, both in the job market and in graduate and professional programs, also reflects the high quality of our students."
Agricultural and biological engineering graduates reported the highest average beginning salaries of $47,446. Food science graduates averaged $42,247, biochemistry graduates averaged $41,507 and animal sciences graduates had an average starting salary of $41,100.
The placement and salary figures were released Tuesday (Oct. 2) in conjunction with Purdue's annual College of Agriculture career fair.
This year's fair boasts a record-breaking 130 participating companies looking for prospective employees and interns - 25 more than the 105 participating in 2006. Whittaker said the turnout shows the strength of the agriculture industry and its job prospects.
Writer: Jennifer Stewart Cummins, (765) 494-6682, cumminsjs@purdue.edu
Source: Dale Whittaker, (765) 494-8472, dwhittak@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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