In terms of getting a good job, the Class of 2008 graduated at the worst of all possible times in recent history. A new study shows that four years after graduation, the Class of 2008 was earning on average $52,200 a year in 2012, about a thousand more dollars than the US median income for the same year.

Kelly Blessing of Bloomberg has the original story:

Class of 2008 Grads in U.S. Earned Average $52,000 Four Years On

Bachelor’s degree holders with full-time jobs had an average salary of $52,200 in 2012, four years after graduating at the height of the Great Recession, a study showed.

For those not enrolled in further education, 83 percent of the Class of 2008 were employed four years later, a report by the National Center for Education Statistics showed.

Students who graduated with a degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematical (STEM) field earned an average of $65,000, 31 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.

“The amount of money earned, jobs held and hours worked all look to be in favor of those who majored in STEM subjects,” Ted Socha, mathematical statistician and project officer for the report said in a phone interview. “It’s where the most in-demand and desired jobs are.”