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 2024–2025 academic year. Unpaid experiences and experiences receiving only stipends are not included in the data analysis.
- The four categories on the salary table represent the co-op salaries' 25th percentile, 50th percentile (median), and 75th percentile, and, finally, the percentage of students in that particular major that were paid. 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: "N/A" signifies that not enough student data is available.
Drexel University Median Hourly Co-op Earnings By Major
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological Sciences | $15.00 | $17.00 | $20.00 | 70.8% |
| Chemistry | $20.00 | $23.00 | $24.50 | 75.5% |
| Communication | $15.50 | $20.00 | $21.00 | 72.7% |
| Criminology and Justice Studies | $14.62 | $17.50 | $23.00 | 63.6% |
| English | $15.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 | 80% |
| Environmental Science | $16.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 |
79.5% |
| Environmental Studies and Sustainability | $17.00 | $20.00 | $23.00 | 88.2% |
| Geoscience | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% |
| Global Studies | $16.00 | $19.50 | $22.00 | 62.9% |
| History | $15.00 | $15.00 | $15.50 | 54.5% |
| Mathematical Statistics | $22.00 | $24.65 | $27.72 | 100% |
| Mathematics | $15.70 | $19.50 | $25.00 | 86.6% |
| Philosophy | N/A | N/A | N/A | 66.6% |
| Philosophy, Politics & Econ | N/A | N/A | N/A | 57.1% |
| Physics | $17.00 | $22.00 | $25.92 | 75% |
| Political Science | $17.00 | $18.32 | $20.00 | 43.4% |
| Psychology | $15.00 | $15.84 | $20.00 | 81.1% |
| Sociology | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | 71.4% |
| Average | $15.00 | $18.00 | $21.00 | 73.7% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | $20.00 | $22.24 | $27.00 | 82% |
| Average | $20.00 | $22.24 | $27.00 | 82% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $20.00 | $23.00 | $27.00 | 93.6% |
| Business Analytics | $19.73 | $21.00 | $23.00 | 82.6% |
| Business and Engineering | $20.00 | $23.25 | $26.50 | 93.3% |
| Business – Undeclared | $19.00 | $20.00 | $20.25 | 82.3% |
| Esport Business | N/A | N/A | N/A | 50% |
| Finance | $20.00 | $23.00 | $25.00 | 91.3% |
| General Business | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.75 | 91.3% |
| International Business | $18.25 | $20.50 | $25.00 | 91.6% |
| Legal Studies Business | $20.00 | $21.00 | $25.00 | 93.1% |
| Management Information Systems | $21.00 | $24.00 | $27.00 | 95.5% |
| Marketing | $18.00 | $20.00 | $23.97 | 85.9% |
| Operations and Supply Chain Management | $20.00 | $21.00 | $25.00 | 97% |
| Organizational Management | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% |
| Real Estate Management & Development | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.55 | 93.3% |
| Sport Business | $15.00 | $19.00 | $22.00 | 61.5% |
| Technology Innovation Management | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% |
| Average | $20.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 | 89.8% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law | $20.00 | $20.00 | $23.00 | 58.3% |
| Average | $20.00 | $20.00 | $23.00 | 58.3% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $23.00 | $27.00 | $32.50 | 83.5% |
| Computing and Security Technology | $20.00 | $24.24 | $28.00 | 94.6% |
| Data Science | $22.00 | $27.00 | $30.85 | 89.4% |
| Information Systems | $20.00 | $23.00 | $25.00 | 89.2% |
| Software Engineering | $24.00 | $26.00 | $32.00 | 77.9% |
| Average | $22.00 | $26.00 | $31.00 | 84.8% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Behavioral Economics, Business, & Organizations |
$15.00 |
$18.00 |
$25.00 |
100% |
| Economic Analysis |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100% |
| Economics |
$18.50 |
$22.00 |
$25.00 |
95.1% |
|
Economics and Business |
$20.00 |
$22.00 |
$24.00 |
89.2% |
|
Economics and Math |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100% |
|
Economics and Public Health |
$20.00 |
$21.50 |
$23.00 |
100% |
| Average | $18.50 | $22.00 | $24.00 | 93.1% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary Education | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% |
| Average | N/A | N/A | N/A | 100% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Engineering | $21.51 | $23.00 | $24.50 | 100% |
| Chemical Engineering | $22.00 | $24.00 | $29.00 | 97.8% |
| Civil Engineering | $20.00 | $23.00 | $25.00 | 100% |
| Computer Engineering | $22.00 | $25.00 | $27.50 | 93.5% |
| Construction Management | $20.00 | $22.50 | $24.50 | 97.9% |
| Electrical Engineering | $23.00 | $25.50 | $28.00 | 96.9% |
| Engineering Technology | $20.00 | $23.00 | $26.50 | 95.1% |
| Environmental Engineering | $18.00 | $20.50 | $24.00 | 100% |
| Materials Science and Engineering | $21.00 | $22.00 | $25.00 | 88.3% |
| Mechanical Engineering | $21.56 | $24.00 | $26.00 | 98.4% |
| Average | $21.00 | $24.00 | $26.50 | 97.1% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation | $18.00 | $20.00 | $22.00 | 85.3% |
| Sustainability and Innovation |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A | 50% |
| Average | $18.50 | $22.00 | $24.00 | 83.7% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom-Designed Major | $15.00 | $18.00 | $21.00 | 78.9% |
| Average | $15.00 | $18.00 | $21.00 | 78.9% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animation and Visual Effects | $13.00 | $18.00 | $18.00 | 34.3% |
| Architectural Studies | $18.00 | $19.00 | $25.00 | 100% |
| Art History | N/A | N/A | N/A | 75% |
| Dance | N/A | N/A | N/A | 33.3% |
| Digital Media & Virtual Production | $15.13 | $18.00 | $25.00 | 60% |
| Entertainment and Arts Management | $15.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | 30.5% |
| Fashion Design | $15.00 | $16.00 | $16.00 | 58.1% |
| Fashion Industry & Merchandising | $15.00 | $17.50 | $18.00 | 75.5% |
| Film and Television | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.00 | 33.3% |
| Game Design and Production | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | 38% |
| Graphic Design | $16.00 | $19.00 | $21.00 | 70% |
| Interior Design | $18.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | 83.8% |
| Music Industry | $15.00 | $15.00 | $16.50 | 17.8% |
| Product Design | $15.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | 61.5% |
| Screenwriting and Playwriting | N/A | N/A | N/A | 50% |
| User Experience & Interact Design | $18.00 | $25.00 | $26.00 | 52.8% |
| Average | $15.00 | $18.00 | $20.00 | 43.6% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Culinary Arts and Science | $15.00 | $20.86 | $22.50 | 87.5% |
| Exercise Science | N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100% |
| Health Administration | $15.00 | $15.00 | $17.75 | 88.8% |
| Health Sciences | $15.00 | $16.00 | $18.00 | 90.4% |
| Hospitality Management | $16.00 | $19.00 | $20.80 | 85.7% |
| Nursing | $17.00 | $17.00 | $18.00 | 99.4% |
| Average | $16.00 | $17.00 | $18.00 | 95.7% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Year Exploratory Studies | $18.00 | $21.00 | $24.00 | 66.6% |
| General Studies | $14.00 | $18.00 | $25.00 | 76.9% |
| Interdisciplinary Professional Studies | $17.00 | $20.00 | $23.00 | N/A |
| Average | $16.00 | $20.00 | $24.00 | 75% |
| Major | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Percentage of Paid Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Public Health | N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100% |
| Health Data Analytics | N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
100% |
| Public Health | $15.00 | $16.50 | $18.00 | 62.5% |
| Average | $15.00 | $16.00 | $18.00 | 65.3% |
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