What salary can I expect once I graduate?

Ty44ler · July 4th, 2009, 04:17 PM

I graduate this December with a Bachelor of Science in IT from a four year university.

I'm being paid $10/hr as an intern for a fairly large construction company creating them a web site, making logos, making flash banners, pretty much everything for them in the web aspect. They have mentioned that they would like to hire me full time once I graduate.

I live in southeastern GA and from salary.com the median salary for an entry-level web designer was $57k. That seems way too high to be realistic.

What kind of salary can I expect so I have something to base it on once I go into negotiate a contract?

Ty44ler · July 5th, 2009, 04:12 PM

Bump for justice. I know somebody in here has graduated from college and knows what they began making once they left.

vass0922 · July 5th, 2009, 04:32 PM

Random guess would be around 40-45 for initial salary, but the company +/- that based on your performance.
Seeing as they're keeping you on, it can't be too bad.

also depends on what kind of work you're doing for them.
If you're doing graphics for the buttons on a website, that doesnt amount to much.. but if you're doing graphics for the front page logo that everybody sees and has a real impact then that may improve the salary.

Ty44ler · July 5th, 2009, 04:41 PM

wow, I'd be ecstatic to be making 40-45k a year starting out. I make $10/hr right now and think that's pretty good considering what my other friends make. 40k would be about twice of what I'm making now. That just seems high, but that's why I came here to ask!

Also, I basically do everything for them. Made the main logo, made the buttons, flash animations, edited pictures, everything involved in the website. Even set up apache on their own server to host the site.

**GroundZero3** · July 5th, 2009, 08:44 PM

Have you looked around in your area that you want to work (location/technology wise) and see what they are offering?

Ty44ler · July 5th, 2009, 11:49 PM

I'm not really sure where to look except for online such as salary.com and glassdoor.com, but it seems that these are pretty high for entry level positions. Do you have any suggestions as to where else to look?

**GroundZero3** · July 5th, 2009, 11:51 PM

Well are you planning to stay in S. GA or are you looking to move?

Ty44ler · July 5th, 2009, 11:53 PM

I'm open to move. Prefer to stay in the southeast for a little while, but if a lucritive job opened up elsewhere I'd move. The company I currently work has a high possibility of offering me a full time job and wanted to know what kind of salary to expect when I negotiate a contract.

cswalker · July 8th, 2009, 03:33 AM

I'm not sure about GA, but In Southern FL you can expect 27-35k. I went the route of degrees, and, sadly, wish I just certed the crap outta myself.

vass0922 · July 8th, 2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cswalker

I'm not sure about GA, but In Southern FL you can expect 27-35k. I went the route of degrees, and, sadly, wish I just certed the crap outta myself.

shrug
I do a lot of interviewing, I ignore most certs
A+, MCSE.. its just a piece of paper
most people with these certs couldnt' troubleshoot their way out of a wet paper bag.
Its how people think, and their experience I care about in an interview.

although I'm technical, so your run of the mill HR idiot hiring a technical person loves certs.. which is why our HR person does not hire our people.