Highest paid jobs for Freshers: R&D, IT jobs rank 2nd

Bangalore: Fresh graduates employed in the field of engineering, research and development, IT and telecommunications industries are getting more pay this year than in 2009 according to a new survey.

The survey launched by the management consulting firm Hay Group has found that average salary offers have gone up across the board in the current graduate hiring season. Hay has surveyed 89 companies in July.

The highest average starting salaries were for legal jobs. Degree holders got $2,650 a month, up from $2,565 last year. Those with second-upper honours degrees or better got $2,847 and the top 10 percent received $3,220, up from $2,738 and $3,158 respectively. Master's degree holders got $2,956, almost $100 more than the $2,844 last year.

Engineering and IT & telecommunications graduates with honours got $2,700 to $2,900, up from the low $2,700s last year. The top 10 percent in this field got $3,204, up from $3,008. And engineers got $3,119, up from $3,000. Master's degree holders in these fields got just over $3,000 a month, from $2,930-2,940 last year. In R&D, graduates with good honours degrees got $2,743 to $2,814, and the top 10 percent received between $3,168 and $3,220.

"With the recovery this year, employers have upped the salary stakes for finding the best talent from this year's graduating classes," said Victor Chan, Country Head of Reward Information Services, Hay Group.

Hay also found that logistics & supply chain jobs are paying well this year 'as many global companies move their logistics and research hubs to Singapore'.

Logistics and supply chain degree holders were paid the same amount on average as those with finance and accounting degrees, at $2,510 a month.

Honours graduates in finance and accounting were paid $2,673, up from $2,589. And at the top 10 percent of finance and accounting grads got $3,110.