The estimated expected salary for a human factors position for a recent M.S. graduate with 0-1 years experience is between $35K and $46K with a mean of $37.6K* (s.d. = 3.97). This was derived from various sources including a 1985 and a 1993 salary survey as reported in the Human Factors & Ergonomics Society's Bulletin, job listings as posted in the HFES Placement Service, and from human factors professionals involved in hiring throughout California.

A 1985 salary survey (Sanders, Curran, & Beid, 1986) of HFES members indicated that the salary distribution for people holding a Master's was $28K (10th percentile) to $60K (90th percentile), with a mean of $41.3K. Similarly, a 1993 survey (Sanders, 1993) reported a distribution of $39.9K to $83.7K with a mean of $52K. In the 1993 survey, a linear equation was generated using salary as the criterion and years since degree as the predictor as follows:

While these surveys may assist in determining salary requirements for candidates with a Master's, Sanders (1993) notes that "correlations are somewhat low, and caution should be exercised when applying these equations." Further, since the average years of HF experience for those surveyed was 11.5 for people with a master's, "the salary data are probably overweighted with more experienced people." To obtain a more applicable estimate for a person with an M.S. and 0-1 years experience, other sources were investigated.

Job listings as posted in the HFES Placement Service, indicate a range of salary as well. For example, an ergonomic consulting firm of Oakland offers $42K to $50K (mean = $46K) for a position which requires a Master's in HF and 1 year experience. Another human factors position which involves applied research and ergonomic training around the country and offers $35K plus travel and moving expenses for candidates who have received an M.S. within the last three years.

An informal survey of human factors researchers in California, involved in human factors estimated salaries in this same range. The salaries of people working directly with a product or with a large corporation may be in the $40K to $45K, while research positions may be lower, such as $35K to $40K. An informal salary survey (N = 7) via telephone was conducted to gather input from human factors engineers involved in hiring recent M.S. graduates. A human factors research engineer estimated a range of $40K to $45K (mean = $42.4K) for a research position in Southern California. A Northern California human factors manager offered $40K for a consulting position for a recent graduate with some experience. He estimated that a research position would earn $35K to $40K (mean = 37.5K). A former HF federal employee estimated that a recent graduate in HF with a Masters and little experience would command about $40K. This person would likely start at either $30.6-39.8K (GS-9) or $37.0-48.2K (GS-11), depending on the agency. A local HFES member involved in HF research and consulting estimated that $35K to $39K (mean = $37K) would be expected for one with a Master's degree. A Bay Area expert witness in human factors engineering, estimated a range of $35K to $36K (mean = $35.5K). The president of a Northern California based research corporation offered $35K for a human factors M.S. graduate. Finally, two HF professionals, from Northern and Southern California, respectively, estimated that for a research position a starting salary of $35K would be appropriate for a recent M.S. graduate in human factors with little experience.

Figure 1 shows the means of the informal survey, including means for the two job listing examples. While the estimates vary, an expected salary for one with a Master's degree and 0-1 years experience is approximately $35K to $46K with a mean of $37.6K (s.d. = 3.97) for a recent graduate working in California.

References
Sanders, M. S., Curran, P. S. & Bied, B. R. (1985, April). HFS Salary Survey. Human Factors Society Bulletin, 29 (4), 1-3.

Sanders, M. S. (1993, November). 1993 Salary Survey. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Bulletin, 36 (11), 1-3.