Do you have a source for this? That seems exceedingly high. And even higher on an annual basis that the entry level salary you're mentioning.

Though I could see how paying a few extra thousands could help convince a college grad to take an internship there. Google then has their foot in the door… (but still, it would be odd to then get an offer for less than what you were making as an intern)

Also, these salary threads from the past couple of days make me feel underpaid.