University and college students expect to earn an annual salary of more than $50,000 when they start a job after graduation, according to a BMO Bank of Montreal survey. But Statistics Canada reports graduates are still earning considerably less than that even after two years of work experience.
StatsCan data shows students with a degree earned $45,000 per annum, on average, after two years on the job.
While men and women polled have expectations that exceed reality, male expectations are higher. The BMO survey, conducted by Pollara, found that males expect to start at $52,938, on average, versus $48,096 for females. In reality, StatsCan says the average salary for males after two years is $48,000, and $43,900 for females.
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The average starting salary for Canadian post-secondary students can vary depending on profession, according to StatsCan. For example, those who studied visual & performing arts can expect to make the least, with $31,000 as the average salary within a couple years after graduating. Comparatively, those who studied architecture & engineering will make $53,000 within a couple years after graduating.
| Field of Study | Average ($) | |
| Architecture, engineering and related technologies | 53,000 | |
| Health, parks, recreation and fitness | 53,000 | |
| Mathematics, computer and information sciences | 50,000 | |
| Business, management and public administration | 48,000 | |
| Education | 45,000 | |
| Personal, protective and transportation services | 44,000 | |
| Agriculture, natural resources and conservation | 43,000 | |
| Other | 42,000 | |
| Social & behavioural sciences, and law | 40,000 | |
| Humanities | 36,000 | |
| Visual and performing arts, and communications technologies | 31,000 |