How do graduate salaries vary by region?
According to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, six months after graduation, the average salary for 2007 graduates who obtained their degree via full-time study and who were in full-time employment in the UK was £19,300.
Table 1 gives the salary breakdown by region. Graduates working in London commanded the highest average salary of £22,479.
.
| Region | Salary |
|---|---|
| East | £18,943 |
| East Midlands | £17,997 |
| London | £22,479 |
| North East | £17,986 |
| North West | £17,768 |
| South East | £19,306 |
| South West | £18,216 |
| West Midlands | £17,970 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £17,470 |
| Scotland | £18,891 |
| Wales | £17,655 |
| Northern Ireland | £17,371 |
| All UK regions | £19,300 |
In the AGR Graduate Recruitment Survey of Summer 2009, they surveyed 226 graduate employers. It identified the expected median starting salary of graduates by geographical location. The findings are summarised below.
| Location | Median starting salary (£) |
|---|---|
| London | 29,000 |
| South East | 24,425 |
| South West | 23,500 |
| The Midlands | 23,140 |
| North West | 23,000 |
| Scotland | 23,000 |
| East Anglia | 23,000 |
| Yorkshire | 23,000 |
| North East | 23,000 |
| Wales | 21,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 20,166 |
It is important to note that the salary figures for the second source is from mainly large companies and organisations and the vacancies are aimed specifically at graduates. A substantial number of graduates, however, obtain posts which are not specifically targeted at degree holders. As a result, the average salary figures from these sources are likely to be higher than the average graduate starting salaries sourced from student surveys (e.g. the figure reported by HESA), as there is a bias towards larger firms and specific graduate jobs. In addition, many of the vacancies are in London where salaries offered tend to be higher than in other UK regions.
Copyright © 2002-2012 HECSU | Content last updated: July 2009
