As a graduate, what can I expect my salary to be? This is a common question among university students and graduates. Let’s look at the average salaries for new graduates in Australia.
The median starting salary for recent bachelor degree graduates in Australia is around $65,000. This is an average across all study fields.
The median starting salary for postgraduate students in Australia is $89,700. This is an average across all fields of study and takes into account students of all ages who have completed postgraduate courses (excluding research degrees).
Graduate Salaries in Australia
Median salary 4-6 months after graduating
| Field of Study | Graduate 2021 | Postgraduate 2021 |
| Dentistry | $100,000 | $114,000 |
| Medicine | $76,000 | $81,400 |
| Social work | $72,600 | $80,000 |
| Teacher education | $72,000 | $87,600 |
| Engineering | $70,000 | $93,000 |
| Rehabilitation | $67,000 | $69,700 |
| Law and paralegal studies | $66,800 | $76,000 |
| Health services and support | $66,500 | $91,300 |
| Computing and Information Systems | $65,500 | $96,000 |
| Nursing | $65,200 | $89,700 |
| Psychology | $65,000 | $86,000 |
| Science and mathematics | $63,000 | $89,700 |
| Architecture and built environment | $62,600 | $68,000 |
| Humanities, culture and social sciences | $62,600 | $85,300 |
| Business and management | $60,700 | $110,000 |
| Agriculture and environmental studies | $60,500 | $80,000 |
| Veterinary science | $60,000 | $62,300 |
| Communications | $56,200 | $70,000 |
| Creative arts | $53,000 | $78,300 |
| Pharmacy | $50,000 | $77,700 |
| All | $65,000 | $89,700 |
Analysis of the Statistics
The statistics from QILT provide a snapshot of the median starting salaries for recent graduates and postgraduates in various fields of study in Australia.
Highest paying fields soon after graduation
According to the data, the highest median starting salaries for recent graduates are in the fields of dentistry ($100,000), medicine ($76,000), and social work ($72,600). Meanwhile, the highest median starting salaries for postgraduates are in the fields of business and management ($110,000), computing and information systems ($96,000), and health services and support ($91,300).
It’s worth noting that postgraduate study typically results in higher median starting salaries compared to recent graduates, with the difference ranging from $24,000 in the field of agriculture and environmental studies to $48,300 in the field of business and management.
The data also shows that the median starting salary for recent graduates across all fields of study is $65,000, while the median starting salary for postgraduates across all fields of study is $89,700.
Accounting Graduate Salary
For recent bachelor-degree accounting graduates, the median salary soon after graduation was $60,700. For postgraduate students, it was $110,000.
Graduates may work in public, corporate, government, and non-profit sectors, among others. Common job titles include: Accountant, Auditor, Tax Accountant, Financial Analyst, Management Accountant, Budget Analyst.
Engineering Graduate Salary
The median starting salary for recent bachelor degree graduates in engineering in Australia in 2021 was $70,000. The median starting salary for postgraduate students in engineering was $93,000.
Engineers who gain experience and take on more responsibility tend to see increased earning potential over time. Some subfields of engineering, such as software engineering, may also have higher demand and therefore offer higher salaries compared to other subfields.
Graduate Lawyer Salary
The median starting salary for recent bachelor degree graduates in law and paralegal studies in Australia in 2021 was $66,800. The median starting salary for postgraduate students was $76,000.
Law graduates can pursue a variety of careers, including practicing law, working as a paralegal, or working in a related field such as legal administration or legal research.
About the Salary Statistics
QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching) is a national data collection and reporting program in Australia that provides information on the quality of education and training in Australia. QILT collects data on a range of topics related to higher education, including student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, and employment outcomes.
Reports are available on the employment outcomes of university graduates in Australia, including the median salary of graduates in different fields of study and by different demographic groups. This data can be a useful resource for students and job seekers who are interested in understanding the employment prospects and earning potential for graduates in different fields of study.
QILT provides data on the median starting salaries for recent graduates and postgraduates in Australia. The data includes median salaries for graduates across different fields of study and by different demographic groups.
The data can be used to compare the earning potential for graduates from different universities, as well as for different fields of study. The data also provides information on the median salary for full-time employed graduates and the proportion of graduates who are employed full-time.