Bachelor's Degree and No Job? Consider this (The $58,416 Question)

Not everyone graduates from college with a job. Whether a college graduate has a job depends on their major, their location, and the state of the economy.

Bankrate.com predicts that the average starting salary for 2025 college graduates with bachelor's degrees will be $68,680.

The average starting salary for 2025 college graduates with bachelor's degrees and no jobs will be $0.

If these graduates live in California, it doesn't have to be that way.

California's executive branch civil service has a job classification, Staff Services Analyst, that pays a starting salary of $58,416 for someone who holds a bachelor's degree IN ANYTHING. ANYTHING. The starting salary of $58,416 is in the middle of the salary range for the job classification (Range C), because people with bachelor's degrees are started at a higher salary for this job classification.

Yes, the salary is lower than the projected average, but it's $58,416 higher than the average salary for someone who has no job. Additionally, a State job can be just the beginning, a way of achieving financial stability and independence while pursuing a career in your major or your passion.

If your newly minted bachelor's degree-holding college graduate does not have a job, the question is, can they live on $58,416/year?

To take the Staff Services Analyst exam and apply for open positions, visit calcareers.ca.gov. For guidance on how to expeditiously get a Staff Services Analyst position, take my State Jobs Bootcamp (castatejobsbootcamp.com).