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BETHLEHEM, PA- It's no secret that job location can greatly affect salary levels, but a new survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) shows that it also can have an impact on whether or not a candidate accepts the position.
In an online poll conducted on NACE's student web site JobWeb (www.jobweb.com), nearly 52 percent of the respondents said geographic location is "extremely important" when they consider job opportunities. Another 30 percent rated job location as "important." Less than 8 percent said it wasn't a factor.
Salary tied to location
While job candidates say location is a factor in their decision to accept a job, employers' salary offers are also tied to location.
For example, according to NACE salary data, the average starting salary offer to a new accounting grad interviewing for a position in New York is $38,852, while the average offer to the same grad in Phoenix, Arizona, is $35,080. Chicago, for some reason offers the highest starting salaries for most of the jobs surveyed.
"Location is always a consideration," says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. "In the current job market, many new college graduates can find opportunities in their preferred geographic area; they do need to understand, however, that there could be a trade-off between location and starting salary."
Selected Starting Salary Offers, by Location
Accounting
New York, NY/Northern NJ $38,852
Chicago, IL. $40,747
Phoenix, AZ $35,080
Computer Science
New York, NY/Northern NJ $47,022
Chicago, IL $51,256
Phoenix, AZ $49,623
Electrical Engineering
Austin, TX $51,103
Chicago, IL $50,086
Denver/Boulder, CO $48,077
Liberal Arts
New York, NY/Northern NJ $32,555
Washington, DC/Baltimore, MD $30,305
Chicago, IL $33,305