America continues to draw international students seeking promising careers and citizenship. Many of these students, after completing studies in the United States, aspire to secure high-paying jobs that may eventually lead to green cards and permanent residency. However, U.S. employers consider two primary factors when hiring foreign talent: whether the candidate holds a U.S. or non-U.S. degree and the extent of their work experience.
A recent report by Intead and job search platform F1 Hire, titled Connecting Dots: How International Students Are Finding US Jobs, explores the salary outlook for international students aiming to secure U.S. employment after completing their studies. It reveals a notable discrepancy in pay based on where the degree was obtained. According to the report, “Those earning their degrees outside the U.S. and then applying for PERM visa status make a higher starting salary than international students earning their degrees in the U.S.” Interestingly, this trend has a few exceptions, specifically among students from China, Japan, and South Korea, where those with U.S.-based degrees generally earn more.
The report underscores a pattern in which international students who studied outside the United States often command a higher initial salary than their U.S.-educated counterparts, despite having similar career aspirations. This trend highlights that for many international students, completing a degree outside the U.S. may lead to better starting salaries in America compared to those who hold U.S.-based degrees. Nonetheless, U.S.-educated students seem to have an advantage in terms of required prior experience for job eligibility.
The report indicates that U.S. employers typically expect less work experience from international candidates with U.S.-obtained degrees compared to those who graduated from foreign institutions. On average, international students with U.S. degrees may need roughly one year less prior work experience. In certain cases, employers have filed PERM visa applications for international students with U.S. degrees who had as much as two years less experience than candidates with equivalent foreign qualifications. This difference suggests that while international students educated outside the U.S. may have a slight salary advantage, those educated in the U.S. may benefit from more lenient experience requirements.
When examining Indian students specifically, a notable trend emerges. On average, Indian graduates from institutions in India earn around 10% more than their peers who graduated from U.S. universities when employed in comparable roles. However, this additional earning potential comes with a significant tradeoff, as U.S. employers generally require Indian graduates with foreign degrees to have double the work experience of their U.S.-educated counterparts.