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Big Dreams, Small Paychecks?

Grantinge, Nicklas Peter LU and Robertsson, Oskar (2024) NEKH02 20241
Department of Economics
Abstract
This thesis investigates the entry salary expectations of engineering students at Lund University's Faculty of Engineering (LTH) and compares them to actual mean entry salaries based on labour statistics. The first aim of the study is to determine if the students' expectations align with the actual entry salaries. The second aim of the study is to explore which potential causes could explain any observed discrepancies. To gather data on salary expectations, a survey was conducted among students enrolled in Industrial Engineering and Management (IE) and Civil Engineering (CE) programs. The survey amounted to 103 participants. Data on actual entry salary statistics were gathered from The Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO).... (More)
This thesis investigates the entry salary expectations of engineering students at Lund University's Faculty of Engineering (LTH) and compares them to actual mean entry salaries based on labour statistics. The first aim of the study is to determine if the students' expectations align with the actual entry salaries. The second aim of the study is to explore which potential causes could explain any observed discrepancies. To gather data on salary expectations, a survey was conducted among students enrolled in Industrial Engineering and Management (IE) and Civil Engineering (CE) programs. The survey amounted to 103 participants. Data on actual entry salary statistics were gathered from The Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO). Expected and actual mean salaries were compared, and regression analysis was conducted to determine potential specific effects which could have an impact on students' expectations. The analysis reveals a substantial gap between expected and actual entry salaries. Factors such as gender, program enrolment, job prospects, and market wage awareness significantly influence salary expectations. Additionally, the gap decreases as students progress through their academic years. Moreover, variables like previous work experience, completing internships or degree projects, university GPA, and higher parental education were not statistically significant in shaping salary expectations, according to this study. The findings highlight the importance of providing accurate salary information and addressing student overconfidence to foster realistic entry salary expectations, which could otherwise lead to disappointment, prolonged job searches, and job mismatches. The robustness of the results and conclusions would increase with a larger sample size, possibly providing more accuracy to the study. (Less)
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author
Grantinge, Nicklas Peter LU and Robertsson, Oskar
supervisor
organization
course
NEKH02 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Entry salary expectations, Engineering students, Lund University, Regression analysis, Salary discrepancies
language
English
id
9155608
date added to LUP
2024-09-24 08:57:59
date last changed
2024-09-24 08:57:59
@misc{9155608,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the entry salary expectations of engineering students at Lund University's Faculty of Engineering (LTH) and compares them to actual mean entry salaries based on labour statistics. The first aim of the study is to determine if the students' expectations align with the actual entry salaries. The second aim of the study is to explore which potential causes could explain any observed discrepancies. To gather data on salary expectations, a survey was conducted among students enrolled in Industrial Engineering and Management (IE) and Civil Engineering (CE) programs. The survey amounted to 103 participants. Data on actual entry salary statistics were gathered from The Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO). Expected and actual mean salaries were compared, and regression analysis was conducted to determine potential specific effects which could have an impact on students' expectations. The analysis reveals a substantial gap between expected and actual entry salaries. Factors such as gender, program enrolment, job prospects, and market wage awareness significantly influence salary expectations. Additionally, the gap decreases as students progress through their academic years. Moreover, variables like previous work experience, completing internships or degree projects, university GPA, and higher parental education were not statistically significant in shaping salary expectations, according to this study. The findings highlight the importance of providing accurate salary information and addressing student overconfidence to foster realistic entry salary expectations, which could otherwise lead to disappointment, prolonged job searches, and job mismatches. The robustness of the results and conclusions would increase with a larger sample size, possibly providing more accuracy to the study.}},
  author       = {{Grantinge, Nicklas Peter and Robertsson, Oskar}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Big Dreams, Small Paychecks?}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}