<p>I'm very curious as to what a fresh CS graduate with a 3.4 GPA from UC Davis can expect as a starting salary as a software engineer/developer from companies like Apple, Google, IBM.</p>
<p>Also, how likely is it to get hired from these Fortune 500 companies with no prior working experience or internship, but with academic-oriented, computing research published in a journal?</p>
<p>Would someone graduating from UC Davis be offered a lower starting salary than, say, a Berkeley graduate, all else equal?</p>
<p>Starting/base salary is the key for me here.</p>
<p>The key is to get an interview. After you get an interview, they won’t care what your GPA is. To impress them, you’ll have to shine in your interviews. Since you are applying for entry level engineering positions, it probably won’t matter if you have previous working or internship experience if you show that you are a very capable developer. That said, you may find that it is difficult to obtain an interview without having some sort of internship (but i personally know several who have done so). </p>
<p>Pay structures in these companies are fixed. You will be paid the same amount regardless of the school you attended. Starting salaries in the bay area for these technology companies can very between 75k and low 100s (i.e. facebook). While these salaries are definitely higher than other parts of the country, remember to account for state income tax, high cost of living, and extremely high cost of housing.</p>
<p>Do you really think Facebook is at the high-end of the pay scale?</p>
<p>Is it possible that Google pays its entry level software engineers more? From doing online research, I found that Google hires only about half a percent of its applicants. That sounds like a pretty insanely intimidating number! </p>
<p>You will have a better shot of getting into any of these companies as an entry-level college graduate than trying to break in from industry. I’ll be starting at Microsoft in a few weeks and I know that they are trying to get the majority of their hires from their intern program. </p>
<p>I only know the numbers from a few people who have worked at Facebook for more than a year. So, I can’t be positive what new hires are making. I personally know what Google is offering for new hire Associate Product Managers (APMs). This number is very high, but slightly lower than fb. There could be some variation, however, depending on how much they want you. </p>
<p>From what I’ve heard for software people, Google actually offers on the lowered end of the spectrum versus its competitors due to perceived perks in its company culture.</p>
<p>The idea that you’d get paid less because of your school is silly. If you’re able to get a job at Google, why would they pay you less than someone that went to Berkeley? Why not just…not hire you if they don’t think you’re as valuable as Berkeley guy?</p>
<p>The school you goes to helps in getting interviews and showing off your education level, but pay is more dependent on experience.</p>