NUS Students Reveal Their Expected Starting Pay
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the top universities in Asia.
With such reputable degrees, one can imagine graduates moving on to well-paying jobs.
Even so, we’re sure many people wonder — are they worth a starting pay of S$10,000?
YouTuber asks NUS Undergrads for their expected salaries
In a YouTube video posted on 25 Jan 2023, vlogger Torres Pit interviewed several students in the school’s U-Town.
Curious about the undergraduates’ pay expectations, he boldly approached them for their responses.
The interviewees provided a decent range of answers, some of which surprised viewers a fair bit.
Expected starting pay ranges from S$5,000 to S$10,000
One student who holds a double major in Finance and Economics thinks that she would be paid S$10,000 a month.
When Torres initially asked her what her expected salary was, the Year 1 student tried to establish the fact that ‘hoping’ and ‘expecting’ are very different things.
However, it’s unclear if the amount she eventually gave was either.
Two Computer Science students quoted a recent survey and said that the average industry starting pay is between S$5,000 and S$6,000.
Source: Torres Pit托哥 on YouTube
According to the 2021 survey, NUS graduates with a Computer Science degree earned a gross monthly salary of S$6,002.
Meanwhile, a Philosophy student revealed that her peers expect a starting salary of S$9,000 a month.
Source: Torres Pit托哥 on YouTube
Though she did not elaborate on what industries they intended to join, she was confident that her degree could land her a job in most fields. She told Torres,
I think with a Philosophy degree, it’s quite versatile because it teaches you critical thinking skills. So you can go into like, business, banking, consulting, law even.
Students’ expected salaries may not be realistic
Based on the 2021 Graduate Employment Survey, only the computing students seemed to be on the mark.
The survey noted that NUS Business Administration graduates can expect to earn roughly S$5,199 while Bachelor of Arts (Hons) students earn about S$3,500.
The online community also contributed their two cents.
Some viewers believed that the students should be more realistic in their goals. One even shared their personal experience of being in a similar position years ago, only to be rudely awakened to reality.
Source: YouTube
Another commenter who claimed to have a daughter who graduated from NUS shared the harsh truth that earning even S$5,000 a month would be a luxury.
Source: YouTube
The viewer thus deemed the undergraduates’ salary expectations “bloated”.
Starting salaries vary greatly across industries & companies
Although S$10,000 may seem like a hefty sum, it might not be completely unrealistic.
A fresh graduate with a killer aptitude and great testimonials may make the cut in certain industries.
Some viewers who saw a repost of the video on TikTok stated that $10,000 is reasonable if they are looking to join Investment Banking.
NUS students seem to know their worth with starting pay
In today’s competitive climate where having a degree is a norm, fresh graduates face mounting pressure during their job hunt.
Therefore, some may say that undergraduates need to lower their expectations.
However, it’s clear that the interviewees in this video are well aware of their worth. They quoted the figures after reading official surveys and talking their peers — so one can’t argue that it’s just based on feeling.
Nevertheless, the commenters are right to warn them to be realistic too.
Wherever their paths take them next, we wish the students all the best in their future endeavours.
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Featured image adapted from Torres Pit托哥 on YouTube.
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