Guam’s lack of salary parity with the U.S. mainland is one reason why residents leave and why those who graduate off-island do not return, coupled with the higher cost of living of food, utilities and housing.
Nevertheless, onetime residents can be drawn to return by Guam’s lifestyle and their family connections.
The University of Guam has “officially” opened recruitment for the National Science Foundation Navigating Home Year-long Early Career Fellowship from January to December of next year. The fellowship aims to attract and retain talented individuals who are pursuing their master’s or doctorate degrees who may have moved off Guam and are ready to return home. See the Navigating Home site for more details.
Benefits for the program include airfare and relocation support for off-island participants, placement with the best-fit host office within a Government of Guam agency and a $45,000 annual salary.
UOG is seeking recent graduates or current students from underrepresented groups in the marine, environmental, sustainability sciences or engineering, who must be working towards an advanced degree.
Government of Guam employment does offer benefits including insurance, paid sick leave, retirement benefits, and paid vacation.
But the salary offered by the fellowship program may fall short.
In 2023, median income for recent graduates reached $60,000 a year for bachelor’s degree holders aged 22–27, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The jobless rate for bachelor’s degree holders is less than 3%.
According to the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities, in the past decade, all net job growth has gone to workers with bachelor’s or graduate degrees.
According to talent.com, engineering salaries range upwards of $82,550. The Society of Automotive Engineers estimates that one third of engineering jobs remain unfilled, with the current shortage due to last through 2030. mbj