<p>^ agreed. Payscale data is mostly useless because it’s self-reported. The people who are making $200k+ are likely going to be too busy to care enough to go online and post about it. Likewise, those who are making lower salaries might be less inclined to go online and advertise it. Many alumni today probably aren’t even aware that Payscale exists.</p>
<p>As you suggested, it could also be that their graduate education is what got them the high-paying job (e.g. companies recruiting at the graduate institution), not their alma mater. This distinction is lost in Payscale data.</p>
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<p>Feeling glee over something like this is as petty and tacky as HYPSMXYZ alumni feeling superior for having graduated from an elite university. You’d be surprised at how many of those alumni have genuine humility over this.</p>