1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of California-Berkeley](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of California-Berkeley Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do UC Berkeley graduates earn? University of California-Berkeley reports median earnings of $96,018 four years after completion. Its lower and higher planning estimates are $65,376 and $192,078. The lower and higher estimates reflect different mixes of program earnings. They are not observed salary percentiles, the pay of the lowest- and highest-paid quarters of graduates, or probabilities for an individual student. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $65,376 **Median · reported** $96,018 **Higher estimate** $192,078 [Earnings sources and definitions](#outcomes-source-notes) The lower estimate lets you examine a plan with less income than the school-wide median. Compare it with costs and with the fields you are considering, while keeping the modeled estimates separate from reported earnings. Four years after completing a degree at University of California-Berkeley, the median earnings among working, federally aided completers reach $96,018, a figure in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median runs above the peer median of $65,610 by $30,408 among comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $6,810 more than the model expects for similar students, placing the university in the 76th percentile for that measure. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,101. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $6,291. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $6,134. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar at the 96th percentile nationally. The earnings scenarios for University of California-Berkeley span from $65,376 to $192,078, a range that reflects the mix of programs graduates complete. The typical earnings scenario lands at $96,018. Among the largest programs, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $204,379, while Economics graduates earn $135,050. Electrical Engineering completers reach $200,543. An estimated 35.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. ### Earnings by field Among University of California-Berkeley programs with a reported four-year earnings value, the highest medians are: Computer Science ($204,379); Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($200,543); Business Administration, Management and Operations ($144,599); Operations Research ($138,883); Economics ($135,050). These are earnings after completion for the covered cohort. A program median describes the middle reported outcome in that group. It is not a starting-salary offer or a prediction for every graduate, and an earnings comparison does not by itself explain why fields differ. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $204,379 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $200,543 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $144,599 **Operations Research** $138,883 **Economics** $135,050 **Statistics** $133,986 **Chemical Engineering** $121,027 **Cognitive Science** $120,193 Compare these results with the subjects you want to study and the program’s reported award count. Awards measure degree output, not the number of people in the earnings sample. University of California-Berkeley fields 45 bachelor's programs with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 44 of them nationally. The highest-earning large program is Computer Science, where completers earn a median of $204,379 four years after completion and the university awarded 848 degrees. Azimuth ranks that program #8 in the field. Electrical Engineering follows at $200,543 with 528 degrees awarded and a national rank of #2. Earnings moderate in several large fields. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences awarded 767 degrees and shows a median of $66,577, ranking #5 nationally. Political Science reaches $75,128 on 464 degrees awarded and holds an Azimuth national rank of #37. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 44 of the university's bachelor's programs nationally, with earnings data published for 45 fields. The largest program, Computer Science, awarded 848 degrees and holds a national rank of #8; graduates earn a median of $204,379 four years after completion. Electrical Engineering awarded 528 degrees, ranks #2 nationally and #1 in California, with median earnings of $200,543. Economics awarded 799 degrees, ranks #10 nationally, and shows median earnings of $135,050. Among the university's best-ranked programs, Natural Resources Conservation and Research holds the #1 spot nationally with 430 degrees awarded and a median of $78,624. [Explore UC Berkeley earnings by field](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/majors/#largest-cohorts) · [Cost and borrowing](/school/university-of-california-berkeley/cost/) ## Do UC Berkeley graduates earn more than expected? University of California-Berkeley reports median earnings of $96,018 four years after completion. The reported value is $6,810 above Azimuth’s statistical expectation for the institution. The difference compares the reported outcome with a model estimate. It does not compare matched students who attended different colleges, and it does not establish how much the institution caused earnings to change. Read this measure alongside completion and individual program outcomes. It describes an institution-level result; it does not predict what a particular student will earn. [Read the original article: A value-added approach to college outcomes](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$13,101 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$6,291 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$6,810 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Model sources and definitions](#outcomes-source-notes) ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, show a downside of $65,376, a typical outcome of $96,018, and an upside of $192,078. The spread is wide, and the program-level data shows why. Computer Science graduates report the highest four-year earnings among the largest programs, at $204,379. At the other end, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences completers earn $66,577. The difference between fields is substantial, and a student's choice of major is a large part of the earnings picture. Four years after completion, the median earnings of University of California-Berkeley graduates reach $96,018, placing the university in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. This figure draws from a cohort of 5,752 completers in the four-year earnings cohort. Earnings scenarios based on the university's program mix show a wide spread: a downside scenario of $65,376 and an upside scenario of $192,078. The typical earnings scenario sits at $96,018, anchored on the institution's program mix. An estimated 35.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Graduates earn about $6,810 more than the model expects for similar students, placing the university in the 76th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). The median earnings run above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions by $30,408. ## 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/). Four-year earnings are measured after completion for the covered federally aided cohort of people working and not enrolled. Measures taken six, eight or ten years after entry use a different starting point and should not be treated as one graduating class followed over time. Program award counts describe credentials awarded, not current enrollment, unique graduates or earnings-sample size. Reporting periods differ across measures; the shared field definitions do not establish the exact vintage of every school-level value. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/) · [Model methodology](/methodology/) [Return to earnings](#outcomes-earnings-ref) · [Return to model comparison](#outcomes-model-ref)