2012 college grads earning slightly more than those in 2011

UNITED STATES - Bachelor’s degree graduates from the class of 2012 had a small reason to be happier than those who graduated a year ahead of them.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, class of 2012 graduates who were able to find a job in a difficult job market earned an average salary that was 1.7 percent higher than the average salary earned by the class of 2011. Class of 2012 grads who landed a job earned an average of $44,259 while 2011 grads earned an average of $43,521.

Though such a small percentage increase may not seem like a significant step in the right direction, NACE notes that there were increases in salaries among all broad categories of majors, suggesting that the job market is on the mend for new graduates regardless of their field of study.

Business and communications majors had a particularly good year, seeing their salaries climb 2.2 percent since 2011. Though their average salaries increased slightly less, engineering majors from the class of 2012 had the highest salaries of any academic discipline, earning an average of $60,639, which marked a 1.9 percent increase from 2011. Humanities and social services majors were on the opposite end of the spectrum, earning roughly $37,000 in 2012, which was just 1.4 percent higher than the previous year.