re: Highest First Job Salaries

Finance.

But I was the hampster on my own wheel for 15 years. I learned when you work for yourself, you work for a frickin loonatic!

I no longer work for a loonatic.

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If only you were an Optometrist ....

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I can be! I'm an MD. Technically, I can do whatever I'm ballsy enough to do.

i got the calculation from here:

LINK

obviously the biggest difference is housing. But most everything else is not insignificant.

The %s by which BR is less than Manhattan.

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Groceries31%less
Housing81%less
Utilities36%less
Transportation24%less
Health Care3%less

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I made 51k starting out in the Big 4. Got a couple of raises and was doing ok but I decided that I needed a career change. I'm currently in school for mechanical engineering.

Electrical Engineer. Made $43,000 out of college in 2000. Now make $130,000 without much more room to improve unless I want to take on a ton more responsibility. As a single male, no kids, I'm happy staying put at the management level. Never work more than 40 hr week with every other Friday off.

Get in the electric utility industry baw.

Most graduating dental students will see more along the lines of 90k first couple of years. More than likely associates, not owning a practice. Takes time and patient pool to build into that 200k range. Smart money is on ortho however....

derp double post

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My brother is in dental school, and he told me that most dentists start out at around 150k. Also, many dentists work 4 days a week. 150k for 80% of the normal work week. Let that sink in.

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It's not impossible, but it's highly unlikely. A dentist can buy a high volume existing practice and pull in that kind of money right away, but they would have a huge debt to service. $80-100K is more likely right out of school. As an associate you're likely to make 35% of your production and have to pay your own lab bill (40% if you're lucky). Working for one of the clinic-type operations, you'll make around $300/day straight salary pulling teeth all day. I worked for one temporarily when my practice was shut down after Katrina and made $450/day, but that was with over 15 years experience at the time .
$150K is more around the median income for dentists (that is post-expense/pre-tax). Some make a million or more, some make a lot less. But that is around the median. It's much more for specialists. 32 hour work weeks are quite common. Once you're pretty established, you can make really decent money off your hygienist and eventually off an associate. Right before I was forced to quit due to disability, I was making around $130K on a 16 hour work week.
ETA: Endo is super hot right now. Huge money but difficult work.

First job out of undergrad=$28k
Coding/Billing specialist

First job out of grad school >$80k
EMR Consultant (non traveling)

72k plus benefits out of LSU engineering school.

SmackoverHawg, do you do many urine tox screens up there?