Graduates with degrees in science and technology enjoy higher starting salaries than their peers, according to a survey by China’s Ministry of Education.

The monthly average starting salary of college graduates was 3,412 yuan (US$549) last year, with 68.21 percent of the students surveyed saying they were satisfied with the salary offered for their first jobs, according to chief researcher Yang Xiaohui.

The study surveyed 202,350 new graduates in 14 Chinese cities.

Those who studied science and technology services earned the highest salary, or 4,674 yuan a month on average. The average starting salary for economics majors was 3,908 yuan.

Beijing offered the highest average monthly pay for new job seekers at 4,338 yuan, followed by 4,226 yuan in Shanghai and 3,930 yuan in south China’s Guangdong Province.

Yang said location, salary and employers’ reputation were the three most important factors for college graduates seeking their first jobs.

Some 7.49 million students will graduate this year, the largest ever, a year on year increase of 3 percent.

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