Think You'll Make $100K Right Out Of College? In These 10 Fields, You Might Be Right

New graduates expect to have a starting, pre-tax income of $101,500, according to a report from ZipRecruiter. Meanwhile, the average starting, pre-tax salary for first-year workers is $68,400.

However, that six-figure starting salary isn't totally out of the question, especially for those who majored in high-demand fields. ZipRecruiter identified 10 fields where it's possible for a new hire to earn big straight out of the gate.

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According to data from ZipRecruiter's website, these fields include:

1. Consulting: $21,000 to $247,000
2. Program Management: $38,500 to $157,000
3. Nursing: $15,500 to $150,000 
4. Industrial Maintenance: $38,500 to $134,500 
5. Telecommunications: $36,500 to $115,500 
6. Business Development: $36,500 to $149,000 
7. Data Specialist: $28,500 to $132,000
8. Home Health Care: $31,500 to $155,500 
9. Real Estate: $28,500 to $149,500
10. Procurement: $32,500 to $111,500

ZipRecruiter Career Expert Sam DeMase told CNBC some of these fields one would expect to find on the list, while others are more surprising. 

"Program management is a very overlooked six-figure entry-level field," DeMase said. "I think that recent and rising grads should be looking at program management. If you're someone who is organized, has leadership potential, can multitask really well, can communicate exceptionally well — those skill sets are really valued in program management." 

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Meanwhile, he called nursing a "classic in-demand and high-paying" field and noted that consulting salaries, even for entry-level employees, are known to be comparatively high.

However, DeMase he told CNBC that starting salaries can range quite dramatically depending on location. Bigger cities like New York City and Los Angeles are likely to pay better, while those starting out in smaller locales like Kansas City, Missouri may find themselves on the lower-end of the pay scale.

As for the overall pay expectations of 2025 grads, DeMase said that the disconnect between salary expectations and reality may be attributed to a number of factors. 

"Social media definitely alters the perception of reality for a lot of these rising and recent grads," he said. "It puts a lot of wealth on display and can skew that perception by showcasing the exceptions and not the rules." Additionally, high costs of living and general inexperience with the job market are likely leading to higher expectations. 

Recents grads are thinking "if my cost of living is going up, my salary should be going up, too," DeMase says. Meanwhile, studies show that wages have stagnated, and have been outpaced by inflation since at least 2019. 

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