In the winter 2010 salary survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, most of the top 10 disciplines are engineering fields, and graduates with bachelor’s degrees are earning among the highest salaries.

“While a variety of factors play a role in determining salaries, new graduates with degrees in the technical fields tend to benefit from their relatively low supply. There is more competition for their skills, driving up their salary offers,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. “In general, candidates with technical degrees have an advantage in the job market.”

NACE's latest poll, reported as an index, found that the overall hiring index for February 2010 is 96.4, up from 86.4 reported in January and near the 98.2 peak reported in December 2009.

“The February hiring index is more consistent with the trend we saw developing in the fall,” says Mackes. 

In addition, 26.8 percent of respondents to the latest poll indicated they planned to increase hiring, while 25.9 percent reported plans to decrease hiring.

In terms of recruiting activity, poll respondents report little change between January and February. The current recruiting activity index stands at 97.3, down slightly from 98.6 reported in January but up some from 95.4 in December. 

“In general, employers have been fairly consistent in their projections regarding recruiting activity,” says Mackes. “One reason for that appears to be their commitment to recruit for their internship programs this year even if they forgo or reduce their full-time college hiring.”