(ECNS) �C Nearly one-third of this year's college graduates will enter the Internet and related industries, which boast the highest average monthly salary in China, a survey by recruitment website Zhaopin has found.

The starting salary for this year's college graduates is 4,765 yuan ($730), short of their expected 4,985 yuan and also slightly down from last year's level, according to the report released by Zhaopin on Tuesday.

While only 3.1 percent of the graduates choose to start their own businesses, a significant drop from last year's 6.3 percent, 75.6 percent will be employed by other companies, up from 71.2 percent in 2015.

The top three industries favored by this year's college graduates are: IT/Internet/telecommunications/electronics; finance/banking/investment/funds/securities/insurance; and government/public services/non-profit organizations.

Thanks to their fast growth, IT/Internet/ telecommunications/electronics have absorbed nearly one-third of this year's graduates.

IT/Internet/telecommunications/electronics offer the highest monthly salary, an average of 5,693 yuan for new graduates, followed by 4,685 yuan in the finance industry and 4,552 yuan in the culture/sport/entertainment/media.

Agriculture/forestry/animal husbandry/fishery/others, service industries and culture/education/arts and crafts see relatively low income levels, with average monthly salaries being 3,500 yuan, 3,873 yuan and 3,900 yuan, respectively.

The report also pointed out that law, medical and engineering graduates get offers of higher actual incomes, their average salaries being 6,060 yuan, 5,722 yuan and 5,222 yuan, respectively.