You've paid your fees, studied for three years and now you want to start earning some serious cash. But how do you know what's a good salary offer for the job you want?
The Associate of Graduate Recruiters claims in 2009 almost half of graduate starting salaries ranged from £22,001 ro £26,000. Just one in 10 exceeded £36,000. For 2010, it is predicted there will be no change to the average starting salary offered.
If you're looking for a big wage packet every month, the investment bank and fund manager vacancies offer the largest salary, averaging £38,000. Law firms and oil companies offer salaries of more than £30,000 while the public and third sectors finished bottom. See the tables below for an idea of what you could - and should - be earning in your preferred industries when you start a graduate job.
| Salary Range | Graduate employers offering salary range 2009 | Graduate employers offering salary range
Predicted 2010 |
|---|
| £36,001 or more | 11.9% | 13.0% |
| £31,001 to £36,000 | 8.6% | 7.6% |
| £26,001 to £31,000 | 22.2% | 20.7% |
| £24,001 to £26,000 | 22.7% | 25.0% |
| £22,001 to £24,000 | 20.1% | 25.4% |
| £19,001 to £22,000 | 5.9% | 4.9% |
| Less than £19,000 | 2.7% | 4.9% |
| Don't know | 0.0% | 3.9% |
| Graduate job sector | Average starting wage 2009 |
|---|
| Investment bank or fund managers | £38,250 |
| Law firm | £35,000 |
| Oil company | £33,500 |
| Banking or financial services | £28,500 |
| Consulting or business services firm | £27,750 |
| IT / Telecommunications companies | £27,000 |
| Motor manufacturer | £26,000 |
| Insurance company | £25,500 |
| FMCG company | £25,500 |
| Accountancy or professional services firm | £25,000 |
| Energy, water or utility company | £25,000 |
| Transport or logistics company | £23,500 |
| Engineering or industrial company | £23,500 |
| Construction company or consultancy | £23,000 |
| Retail | £23,000 |
| Public sector | £23,000 |
| Third sector | £19,000 |
| Other | £25,000 |