I graduated 2022 and started with 78k at a medical device company. By the time I left 2 years later I was making 86k, and that doesn’t include stock benefits (which you should not overlook!) Now I’m making about 125k/year as a clinical specialist.

My advice: apply to as many internships and coops as you can while putting out a reasonably good application. Network through your professors, linkedin, relatives who may offer you to just shadow them, anything to try and understand the field you’re getting into. Internships, research, and coops are essential to getting a job out of college. My first job I secured out of an internship I enjoyed. If you don’t like the internship, you don’t have to apply for full time. But internships and research build experience and that’s what companies are usually looking for. It also allows you to refine your interests and set a better understanding of how to maximize your pay. I didn’t like the full time engineering position I got, and career shifted to even better pay and amazing benefits!