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Undergraduate Co-op Salary Guide
It is expected that student employees will be paid a wage comparable to other employees having similar responsibilities. Whether to pay a co-op student and determining the rate of pay is the employer's decision; however, the competition for Drexel Co-op talent is very strong and should be considered in the process. Further, offering student employees a wage for their contributions creates equity in the applicant pool, offering a chance for all students to consider the opportunity regardless of financial need. Co-op salaries, much like career salaries, are driven by industry and market needs.
Employers should consider the salary guide below as a starting point when making offers of employment to Drexel Co-op students. The salary information in the tables below is based on the median hourly rate of paid co-op experiences from the 2022–2023 academic year. Unpaid experiences and experiences receiving only stipends are not included in the data analysis.
- The three categories on the salary table represent the 25th percentile, the 50th percentile, and the 75th percentile of co-op salaries. For example, the 25th percentile indicates the 25 percent of students in paid experiences make less than the listed amount. Seventy-five percent of students make more than the amount listed in the 25th percentile.
Finally, employers and students should be aware that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and related state and local statutes may govern the relationship between employers and co-op students (including minimum wage and overtime). Employers are encouraged to review the Department of Labor Fact Sheet Regarding Unpaid Interns and Students to determine whether its provisions are relevant to the circumstances of their co-op positions. Please note in the tables below, 'n/a' means there is insufficient salary data to report.
Drexel University Median Hourly Co-op Earnings By Major
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Sciences | $15.00 | $16.50 | $22.00 |
| Chemistry | $20.00 | $21.00 | $23.00 |
| Communication | $15.00 | $18.54 | $20.00 |
| Criminology and Justice Studies | $16.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| English | $15.00 | $16.74 | $20.00 |
| Environmental Science | $15.00 | $18.00 | $18.75 |
| Environmental Studies and Sustainability | $13.75 | $16.00 | $19.00 |
| Geoscience | $15.00 | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Global Studies | $15.00 | $16.75 | $18.04 |
| History | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mathematics | $20.00 | $23.00 | $26.00 |
| Philosophy | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Philosophy, Politics & Econ | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Physics | $21.80 | $25.00 | $29.65 |
| Political Science | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Psychology | $13.45 | $15.00 | $18.00 |
| Science - Undeclared | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Sociology | $15.00 | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Total | $15.00 | $18.00 | $21.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $20.00 | $21.75 | $30.00 |
| Behavioral Economics, Business, & Organizations | $15.00 | $19.00 | $20.00 |
| Business Analytics | $18.11 | $21.00 | $24.00 |
| Business and Engineering | $20.00 | $22.05 | $24.50 |
| Business - Undeclared | $17.25 | $20.00 | $22.50 |
| Economic Analysis | $18.00 | $20.00 | $24.00 |
| Economics | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Economics and Business | $19.00 | $20.00 | $24.00 |
| Economics and Mathematics* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Economics and Public Health | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Esport Business | $20.00 | $21.50 | $24.00 |
| Finance | $20.00 | $21.00 | $25.00 |
| General Business | $17.00 | $19.50 | $22.00 |
| International Business | $20.00 | $20.00 | $23.00 |
| Legal Studies - Business | $18.00 | $20.00 | $21.25 |
| Management Information Systems | $19.00 | $20.00 | $26.00 |
| Marketing | $17.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 |
| Operations and Supply Chain Management | $18.00 | $21.00 | $24.00 |
| Organizational Management | $18.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Real Estate Management & Development | $17.00 | $19.64 | $20.00 |
| Sport Business | $16.00 | $19.00 | $20.00 |
| Sport Management | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Technology Innovation Management | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $19.00 | $20.00 | $24.00 |
*Less than 50% of co-op positions in this program were paid.
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Total | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $22.00 | $25.00 | $32.00 |
| Computing & Information Sciences - Undeclared | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Computing and Security Technology | $20.00 | $24.50 | $29.00 |
| Data Science | $21.75 | $25.00 | $28.00 |
| Information Systems | $20.00 | $22.00 | $24.00 |
| Software Engineering | $24.65 | $29.00 | $35.00 |
| Total | $22.00 | $25.00 | $31.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Education | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Teacher Education | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Less than 50% of co-op positions in this program were paid.
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Engineering | $20.00 | $22.00 | $23.50 |
| Chemical Engineering | $20.00 | $23.00 | $26.50 |
| Civil Engineering | $19.00 | $21.00 | $23.48 |
| Computer Engineering | $21.00 | $25.00 | $29.00 |
| Construction Management | $20.00 | $22.00 | $24.75 |
| Electrical Engineering | $21.97 | $24.35 | $26.50 |
| Engineering | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Engineering Technology | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Environmental Engineering | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 |
| Materials Science and Engineering | $20.00 | $21.74 | $24.00 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $20.00 | $22.00 | $24.50 |
| Total | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation | $17.10 | $20.00 | $21.11 |
| Sustainability and Innovation | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $17.55 | $20.00 | $21.06 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom-Designed Major | $17.00 | $19.00 | $22.75 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animation and Visual Effects* | $14.20 | $16.00 | $18.00 |
| Architectural Studies | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Art History | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dance* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Design and Merchandising | $13.50 | $15.00 | $18.00 |
| Digital Media & Virtual Production | $11.00 | $15.75 | $21.00 |
| Entertainment and Arts Management* | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| Fashion Design* | $12.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 |
| Film and Television* | $15.00 | $15.52 | $18.00 |
| Game Design and Production* | $15.00 | $16.66 | $20.00 |
| Graphic Design | $15.00 | $18.00 | $19.00 |
| Interior Design | $17.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Music Industry* | $15.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 |
| Photography* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Product Design | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 |
| Screenwriting and Playwriting* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| User Experience & Interact Design | $18.00 | $21.00 | $25.00 |
| Westphal Studies Program | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
*Less than 50% of co-op positions in this program were paid.
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Arts and Science | $16.00 | $18.00 | $22.50 |
| Health Sciences | $12.35 | $15.00 | $17.00 |
| Health Services Administration | $15.00 | $17.00 | $20.00 |
| Hospitality Management | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
| Nursing | $14.00 | $15.30 | $17.00 |
| Nutrition and Foods* | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $14.00 | $15.24 | $17.00 |
*Less than 50% of co-op positions in this program were paid.
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Year Exploratory Studies | $19.00 | $20.00 | $21.00 |
| General Studies | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $18.00 | $20.00 | $21.00 |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health | $15.50 | $17.00 | $17.50 |