1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/)[Cost & aid](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/admissions/)[Majors](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do SIU graduates earn? The reported median is $61,484 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $4,183 per year. Graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn about $2,808 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,934. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,126. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,734. Four years after completion, completers earn a median of $61,484, which is above the peer median of $57,301 among comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,183. The median sits in the 55th percentile nationally. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 55th percentile. The earnings picture is mixed: graduates beat the model's expectation, but the institution's own contribution subtracts from that advantage, leaving the overall return pillar near the middle of the pack. The earnings scenarios point to a wide spread: the downside scenario is $44,965 while the upside scenario reaches $85,380. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Fire Protection graduates earn $108,135 four years after completion, from 36 degrees awarded. Computer Science follows at $91,299, and Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians at $87,442. The model based on program mix estimates that 25.4% of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduates continue to graduate study. Four-year earnings data cover only those working and not enrolled, so completers who pursue advanced degrees are absent from the median earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $61,484 **Rank for difference from expectations** 65th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **SIU reported median** $61,484 **Peer schools comparable schools · $4,183 below SIU** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $2,808 below SIU** $58,676 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $44,965 to $85,380, around the reported median of $61,484. Compare the lower scenario with [SIU borrowing and monthly payments](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $44,965 **Median · reported** $61,484 **Higher estimate** $85,380 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do SIU graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). SIU graduates’ reported earnings are $2,808 above that expectation, the 65th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending SIU caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,934 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$3,126 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$2,808 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at SIU report the highest earnings? At Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, the largest bachelor's program, Air Transportation, is also one of the highest-earning fields, with a median of $81,394 four years after completion on 150 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #10 nationally and #1 in Illinois. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians awarded 89 degrees and shows a median of $79,299. Azimuth ranks that program #13 nationally and #1 in Illinois. Criminology reaches $52,916 four years after completion on 75 degrees awarded. It ranks #31 nationally and #2 in Illinois. Psychology awarded 74 degrees and reports a median of $48,728, placing #248 in its field. These technical and social-science programs illustrate a wide range of earnings outcomes across fields at the university. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale publishes earnings data for 57 bachelor's programs, 35 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The largest program, Air Transportation, awarded 150 degrees and ranks #10 nationally, with a median of $81,394 four years after completion. Subject-Area Teacher Education is the second-largest, with 120 degrees awarded and a median of $67,961, while Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians awarded 89 degrees, ranks #13 nationally, and shows a median of $79,299. Among the university's highest-earning programs, Fire Protection stands out with a median of $108,135 and 36 degrees awarded. Computer Science follows at $91,299 with 26 degrees awarded. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Fire Protection** $108,135 **Computer Science** $91,299 **Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians** $87,442 **Mechanical Engineering** $86,238 **Computer Engineering** $85,056 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $83,853 **Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians** $82,901 **Civil Engineering** $81,888 [Explore SIU program cohorts and field ranks](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $44,965, a typical outcome of $61,484, and an upside of $85,380. The spread reflects the variation across fields: Fire Protection graduates earn a median of $108,135 four years after completion, while Psychology, one of the largest programs, sits at $48,728. Federally aided graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $61,484 four years after completing a degree. That median is $4,183 above the $57,301 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings cohort includes 3,807 completers. The median sits in the 55th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,808 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap falls in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $44,965 on the downside to $85,380 on the upside, with a typical outcome of $61,484. An estimated 25.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).