What are Starting Salaries for Graduates?

Getting a job is one thing, but will it be a well-paid job?

• Graduate starting salaries also vary between subjects as the table What do Graduates Earn? shows.
• The tables are quite highly correlated so that subjects where graduates are likely to find a job are also those that are well paid (at least initially).
• However, there are some exceptions such as architecture where graduate jobs seem to be easy to come-by but starting salaries are very much in the middle.

Do remember that these figures do not reflect your earning prospects as your career develops.

• For example, nursing graduates receive quite good starting salaries but the longer term earning potential may well be less than that of some other subjects lower down the table.
• Equally graduates in Psychology, Pharmacy, Optometry and other allied health professions often are required take a one year pre-registration year or training year which is paid at less than £20,000 a year.
• When graduates are fully qualified in their professional fields, salaries tend to increase significantly.

Generally it is advised not to read too much into these figures for initial graduate starting salaries.

• This is partly why The Complete University Guide does not factor them into its league tables.

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