Finance jobs top ’07 work plans

The percentage of Princeton seniors who found full-time work before Commencement grew for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Office of Career Services. Aided by a healthy job market, more than 37 percent of the Class of 2007 accepted jobs by late May, up from 35 percent for the Class of 2006.

This year’s new workers will earn an average of $54,318, down slightly from 2006. Career Services reported that philosophy majors will earn the highest average — $71,250 — though only four grads from the department provided salary information. Electrical engineering and operations research and financial engineering were second and third among the top-earning majors.

Financial services again dominated the list of first jobs, accounting for 43.1 percent of all jobs accepted. Investment banking alone drew 148 of the working graduates (35.4 percent). Other popular choices included consulting (16.5 percent) and education (10.8 percent). Sixteen ’07 grads plan to join Teach for America this fall.

Overall, about two-thirds of new grads had found jobs or were pursuing work, including 12 percent who embarked on yearlong internships for nonprofit, public service, or international organizations. Twenty percent planned to attend graduate or professional school. All three figures were similar to those for the Class of 2006.

Of the 2007 graduates who selected graduate schools by May, nearly a quarter planned to pursue a Ph.D. Harvard remained the top choice for students heading to graduate or professional programs, followed by Columbia and Stanford.