What do postgraduate students earn?
The higher earning potential of doing a postgraduate degree draws many student into carrying on their studies.
This article shows what postgrad students earn after graduation. The table shows the mean salaries of postgraduate students from different subject areas entering employment:
- into 'professional' jobs* – those jobs where a degree is usually required, or self-employment
- into all jobs (professional and non-professional jobs**)
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| Subject Group | Professional Job* | All Jobs** |
|---|---|---|
| Business & administrative studies | £46,966 | £45,547 |
| Medicine & dentistry | £44,836 | £44,563 |
| Engineering & technology | £36,930 | £36,452 |
| Computer science | £36,522 | £36,002 |
| Mathematical sciences | £35,370 | £34,986 |
| Veterinary science | £35,331 | £35,336 |
| Subjects allied to medicine | £34,601 | £34,302 |
| Social studies | £32,881 | £31,918 |
| Law | £32,699 | £31,716 |
| Architecture, building & planning | £31,755 | £31,547 |
| Combined | £30,152 | £30,152 |
| Physical sciences | £30,080 | £29,370 |
| Biological sciences | £29,713 | £28,523 |
| Historical & philosophical studies | £29,149 | £27,070 |
| Agriculture & related subjects | £28,393 | £27,685 |
| Education | £27,614 | £27,452 |
| Creative arts & design | £27,151 | £25,581 |
| Languages | £26,699 | £24,892 |
| Mass communications & documentation | £25,165 | £24,241 |
| All Subjects | £32,737 | £31,965 |
Notes
Published September 2018
- Date source: HESA 2016–17, Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey (DLHE), which asks UK and EU domiciled graduates what they are doing on a particular reference date roughly six months after graduation.
- Combined – courses that cross more than one subject group.
- *Professional employment refers to a job or occupation which normally requires a degree.
- **Non-professional employment refers to a job or occupation which doesn't normally require a degree.
Next page: Types of Postgraduate Study