Graduate recruitment experts, Bridgewater Graduates, share their insights into what graduates can expect to be earning in 2018.
After years of lectures, seminars, essays and exams, graduates want to see their careers take off. Those crazy student loans better be worth it and once university if over, you’ll be looking for a role that suits your personality and rewards you well.
The current graduate job market is positive and salaries have increased. So what can you expect to be earning as a new graduate in 2018?
What we say
As a graduate recruitment consultancy, we have the pleasure of offering jobs to graduates every week. We’ve assessed the average graduate starting salaries that we’ve seen so far this year and the average for our graduates is £21,000 with offers ranging from £18,000-£23,000. Naturally, the starting salary that you can expect does vary based on the type of role you apply for, the location it is based in and the experience you already have.
We’re pleased to see that the majority of our graduates also have their salaries reviewed and increased within 6 months of starting their roles.
Search and apply for graduate jobs here >
What the job sites say
Leading graduate job board, graduate-jobs.com, estimates the average starting salary for graduates is £19,000 – £22,000. This is based on the hundreds of graduate roles that they see being advertised on their site.
TotalJobs report higher advertised salaries, with Graduate Trainee roles on their site offering salaries anywhere between £21,000 – £37,000. The highest paying industry for graduate trainees is the property sector and the lowest is education.
Do bear in mind that the top end salaries usually require you to already have relevant experience.
What the research says
High Fliers’ research suggests that the average starting salary for graduates in the UK is £30,000. However, given their research only covers the largest graduate employers in the UK, this figure will only apply to a small minority of graduates.
What your subject says
What subject you studied at university can also have an impact on the salary you take home afterwards. We’ve put together this infographic so that you can see how your subject measures up.
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Average Graduate Salary UK – Full Subject List
If your subject wasn’t featured in the infographic above, you should be able to find it in this comprehensive list.
- Accounting – £22,828
- Aerospace engineering – £27,820
- Agriculture – £20,800
- American Studies – £20,228
- Anatomy, Pathology & Physiology – £23,036
- Anthropology – £20,124
- Archaeology – £19,448
- Architecture – £20,956
- Creative Arts & Design – £15,184
- Aural & Oral Sciences – £24,076
- Biological Sciences – £19,760
- Building – £25,740
- Business & Management Studies – £24,336
- Celtic Studies – £21,788
- Chemical Engineering – £31,824
- Chemistry – £23,088
- Civil Engineering – £27,716
- Classics & Ancient History – £21,892
- Media Studies – £18,928
- Complementary Medicine – £25,792
- Computer Science – £25,480
- Creative Writing – £16,796
- Dentistry – £34,840
- Drama, Dance & Cinematics – £17,940
- East & South Asian Studies – £17,472
- Economics – £29,068
- Education – £23,660
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering – £26,416
- English – £19,708
- Food Science – £22,100
- Forensic Science – £19,500
- French – £21,100
- General Engineering – £29,068
- Geography & Environmental Science – £23,348
- Geology – £22,284
- German – £23,348
- History – £20,800
- History of Art, Architecture & Design – £20,956
- Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation & Tourism – £19,240
- Iberian Languages – £21,060
- Italian – £21,684
- Land & Property Management – £24,336
- Law – £24,492
- Librarianship & Information Management – £23,920
- Linguistics – £19,552
- Marketing – £21,788
- Materials Technology – £26,000
- Mathematics – £25,896
- Mechanical Engineering – £28,236
- Medical Technology – £25,272
- Medicine – £25,792
- Middle Eastern & African Studies – £21,736
- Music – £18,044
- Nursing – £24,700
- Occupational Therapy – £22,204
- Optometry, Ophthalmology & Orthoptics – £18,304
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy – £22,724
- Philosophy – £21,892
- Physics & Astronomy – £26,312
- Physiotherapy – £23,036
- Politics – £22,568
- Psychology – £19,032
- Russian & East European Languages – £26,052
- Social Policy – £20,384
- Social Work – £22,776
- Sociology – £19,812
- Sports Science – £19,334
- Theology & Religious Studies – £20,332
- Town & Country Planning and Landscape Design – £23,608
- Veterinary Medicine – £29,224
Don’t get hung up on your salary
Earning plenty of money is great, however, there’s no point in earning £30,000 a year if you dread going to work every day. It’s important to find the balance between what you enjoy, what you earn and the other benefits on offer.
What’s important is different for each of us, so try to make the best decision for you. If you change your mind later, you can always learn from your mistakes and look for a graduate role that is better suited to you going forward.
