How Much Could You Earn With Your Degree?
Being a student often means having to get by without much money, completely reliant on the next instalment of a grant or loan to come in (or mum and dad to send you some cash). Things won’t always be...
Being a student often means having to get by without much money, completely reliant on the next instalment of a grant or loan to come in (or mum and dad to send you some cash). Things won’t always be this desperate though. One day, you’ll be earning money. If you’re lucky, you might even be earning lots of money.
Start fantasizing about what you’ll spend your first month’s wages on by looking at this list of the average salaries for different jobs and careers. Figures are based on national data for the US and UK.
Accounting & finance
Average accounting & finance salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Brokers | £41,116 |
|---|---|
| Actuaries | £56,564 |
| Economists | £36,804 |
| Statistician | £31,233 |
| Finance and investment analysts and advisers | £34,311 |
| Accounting technician | £20,456 |
| Insurance underwriters | £26,896 |
| Financial accounts managers | £26,950 |
| Chartered accountants | £35,126 |
| Finance officers | £22,893 |
Average accounting & finance salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Actuaries | $102,880 |
|---|---|
| Accountants and auditors | $70,500 |
| Personal financial advisors | $88,890 |
| Financial analysts | $85,660 |
| Financial examiners | $80,180 |
| Budget analysts | $76,220 |
| Insurance underwriters | $69,380 |
| Loan officers | $63,040 |
| Cost estimators | $64,040 |
| Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents | $54,440 |
Architecture
Average architecture salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Architects (not landscape or naval) | £32,887 |
|---|---|
| Landscape architects | £25,531 |
| Naval architects | £38,472 |
| Architectural technologists | £24,329 |
| Architectural designers | £27,006 |
Average architecture salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Architectural and engineering managers | $140,760 |
|---|---|
| Architects | $79,380 |
| Drafters | $55,550 |
Art & design
Average art & design salaries in the UK(data from PayScale unless otherwise stated)
| Graphic designers | £22,039 |
|---|---|
| Artists (data from Glass Door) | £26,433 |
| Archivists | £26,433 |
| Musicians | £27,014 |
Average art & design salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Producers and directors | $71,680 |
|---|---|
| Multimedia artists and animators | $72,520 |
| All art and design occupations | $46,660 |
| Archivists, curators and museum technicians | $48,400 |
| Graphic designers | $50,370 |
Business & management
Average business & management salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Chief executives and senior officials | £89,073 |
|---|---|
| Marketing directors | £64,948 |
| Financial managers | £40,049 |
| Human resource managers | £35,607 |
| Purchasing managers | £33,788 |
| Business development managers | £33,126 |
| Project management director | £72,684 |
| Management consultants | £47,975 |
| Business analysts | £35,341 |
| Senior sales executives | £24,808 |
| Sales administrators | £18,372 |
Average business & management salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Management analysts | $83,610 |
|---|---|
| Logisticians | $74,600 |
| Budget analysts | $76,220 |
| Operations research analysts | $83,390 |
| Market research analysts | $63,120 |
| Human resources specialists | $60,880 |
| Training and development specialists | $60,870 |
Computer science & information technology
Average computer science & IT salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Information technology directors | £78,189 |
|---|---|
| IT specialist | £35,766 |
| IT project managers | £41,545 |
| IT business analysts | £35,341 |
| Telecommunications specialist | £26,351 |
| Programmers | £30,326 |
| Software development managers | £54,347 |
| Telecommunications engineers | £26,351 |
Average computer science & IT salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Computer and information research scientists | $118,370 |
|---|---|
| Software developers | $105,590 |
| Information security analysts | $98,350 |
| Computer systems analysts | $88,740 |
| Computer network architects | $109,020 |
| Computer programmers | $84,280 |
| Web developers | $69,430 |
| Computer support specialists | $53,470 |
Engineering
Average engineering salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Aircraft engineers | £34,356 |
|---|---|
| Design engineering manager | £50,375 |
| Production managers in manufacturing | £34,965 |
| Electrical engineers | £31,308 |
| Mechanical engineers | £30,630 |
| Electronics engineers | £29,287 |
| Product development engineers | £30,003 |
| Civil engineers | £31,046 |
| Mining engineers | £40,695 |
| Quality control engineers | £27,519 |
| Engineering technicians | £23,093 |
Average engineering salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Computer hardware engineers | $114,600 |
|---|---|
| Aerospace engineers | $115,220 |
| Chemical engineers | $104,910 |
| Electronics engineers (except computer) | $99,070 |
| Mining and geological engineers | $92,250 |
| Nuclear engineers | $107,600 |
| Petroleum engineers | $137,170 |
| Marine engineers and naval architects | $92,560 |
| Biomedical engineers | $88,550 |
| Materials engineers | $92,390 |
| Mechanical engineers | $87,370 |
| Civil engineers | $86,640 |
| Environmental engineers | $87,620 |
| Industrial engineers | $87,040 |
| Agricultural engineers | $77,110 |
| Drafters | $55,550 |
Law
Average legal salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Attorney/lawyer | £45,920 |
|---|---|
| Solicitors | £35,876 |
| Barristers | £50,987 |
| Law firm partner | £72,138 |
Average legal salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Lawyers | $120,910 |
|---|---|
| Judges and hearing officers | $117,190 |
| Arbitrators, mediators and conciliators | $62,270 |
| Court reporters | $57,150 |
| Paralegals and legal assistants | $50,940 |
Media & communications
Average media & communications salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Public relations directors | £71,483 |
|---|---|
| Advertising accounts managers | £26,423 |
| Creative directors | £48,930 |
| Journalists | £23,552 |
| Public relations managers | £32,648 |
| Author/writer | £36,100 |
Average media & communications salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Writers and editors | $62,170 |
|---|---|
| Public relations specialists | $60,000 |
| News analysts, reporters and correspondents | $43,490 |
| Broadcast and sound engineering technicians | $43,660 |
| Announcers | $31,990 |
Medicine & life sciences
Average medical & life sciences salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| General Practice Doctors | £50,731 |
|---|---|
| Midwifes | £27,010 |
| Dentists | £49,949 |
| Biochemists | £30,167 |
| Veterinarians | £31,091 |
| Pharmacists | £34,910 |
| Paramedics | £25,553 |
| Psychologists | £31,341 |
Average medical & life sciences salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Physicians and surgeons | $208,000 |
|---|---|
| Dentists | $156,240 |
| Veterinarians | $93,830 |
| Medical scientists | $84,810 |
| Biological technicians | $44,500 |
| Psychologists | $79,010 |
| Conservation scientists and foresters | $61,340 |
Natural sciences
Average natural sciences salaries in the UK(data from PayScale)
| Research scientists | £30,966 |
|---|---|
| Research chemists | £29,062 |
| Environmental scientists | £26,592 |
| Geoscientists (but not hydrologists or geographers) | £32,712 |
Average natural sciences salaries in the US(data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018)
| Biological Technicians | $44,500 |
|---|---|
| Environmental scientists | $71,130 |
| Chemists and materials scientists | $78,330 |
| Geoscientists | $91,130 |
This article was originally published in March 2015. It was last updated in June 2019.
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