Sad, Graduates from These Resilient AI Fields Endure Low Starting Salaries

Graduates from majors deemed “resilient” to artificial intelligence (AI) disruption are confronting a bitter reality: relatively low starting salaries. According to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report cited by Forbes, graduates in pharmacy and education record the lowest initial earnings compared to other fields. For instance, pharmacy graduates aged 22-27 earn an average of about US$40,000 per year, equivalent to Rp632 million. Meanwhile, biology graduates, also often viewed as a safer STEM pathway from AI impacts, record starting salaries of around US$45,000 per year, or approximately Rp711 million. These figures are even below or on par with the US national average income of US$45,140, or Rp713 million per year. On the other hand, education majors, long popular for offering job stability, face similar conditions. Graduates in general education, primary education, and early childhood education are reported to achieve starting incomes of around US$45,000 per year. However, the health and education sectors are projected to continue growing amid AI disruption. A 2024 McKinsey report states that the healthcare industry will keep expanding alongside changes in the US business landscape. Demand for labour in this sector is also surging sharply. Indeed data from 2025 records a 162% increase in job openings for healthcare workers such as nurses, doctors, and home care workers compared to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels. Nevertheless, this high demand has not yet corresponded to the starting salary levels received by new graduates. In contrast, graduates from technology and engineering majors dominate the list with the highest pay. They average starting salaries of around US$75,000, equivalent to Rp1.18 billion per year, and can exceed US$100,000 (Rp1.58 billion) mid-career. Specifically, computer science and computer engineering graduates record the highest starting salaries, at around US$90,000 (Rp1.42 billion) and US$87,000 (Rp1.37 billion) per year, respectively. This phenomenon indicates that although some majors are considered safer from AI threats, this does not always align with financial returns at the start of one’s career.