Highest Paying Popular Degrees

Whether you’re currently at university or looking to go in the coming years, one thing we always question and are curious about is “How much is this degree going to pay?” as we search for the highest paying degrees. But how about the top paying salaries for some of the most popular degrees across the UK? Focusing on average graduate salaries, so taking into account a mixture of salaries offered by large corporations and smaller local/regional businesses, as well as the lower and top end of the range, we’ll explore the average starting salaries of some of the most popular degrees.

10. Business - £25,000

A hugely popular degree and one which has numerous different subject areas and ‘dual-subjects’ such as a Business Management with Marketing degree, a degree in business can get you in numerous different places. A popular and well-paying destination for business graduates is Project Management where you can get involved in a huge range of sectors, ranging from tech and finance, to logistics and events - the possibilities are endless.

9. Law - £25,000

Potentially lower than you may have expected, but initially the starting salary for a Law graduate is still hugely competitive on the scale. Many career options in law will require some initial (further) training in your chosen field in order to become fully qualified, such as the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), with many employers funding such training and qualification. However, once you are fully qualified and completed your training, your salary potential could see you progress close to and over the £100,000 mark as you progress through your career.

8. Accounting - £27,000

Upon graduating from an Accounting degree, many employers will put you through further training to gain internationally recognised qualifications which means that the initial salary may be slightly lower than you may thought it would be. However, once you are fully qualified, such as a Chartered Accountant, your earning potential is huge. You could certainly see yourself approaching £40k-£50k early in your career and as you progress in your role, get your foot in the door at some of the worlds biggest businesses.

7. Engineering - £29,000

The UK has long been known for its engineering skill and quality design, meaning Engineering is a skill which is always in demand - and with a healthy salary to go with it. Within the engineering field, there is a broad range of disciplines such as Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental and more which you can find yourself in meaning there is plenty to choose from to suit what fascinates you most. It’s also an industry which is always evolving, meaning leaving university with the latest knowledge of modern engineering methods and techniques will make you an attractive prospect for employers.

6. Economics - £29,000

Through school and sixth form, Economics might be a topic which isn’t at the top of your thoughts as it isn’t necessarily part of the curriculum, but it is one of the most fascinating subjects you can learn about. Focusing on the economy and the data surrounding it, once you can show your skills and land yourself a role to begin applying it, as the economy plays a huge part in our daily lives, businesses will reward you nicely for your services. As with many of the jobs in this blog, once you have some experience under your belt your potential earnings is huge.

5. Finance - £30,000

A degree in finance can earn you a huge starting salary after you land your first graduate job, and for good reason. The world of finance is complex and many businesses reward you with such responsibility with a healthy starting package, with some even offering over £40k during your first year. After all, the world of finance is often dominated by large banks, but there is still huge scope to join businesses of all size and functions in their finance departments Although the figure may be slightly skewed by the higher salaries which London commands, there are still numerous opportunities in cities across the UK, such as Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and more.

4. Computer Science - £31,000

It’s no great secret that the world of Computer Science is hugely rewarding, and that can be seen with the salary that many graduates can walk into - after all computing and technology is such a big part of the future. The rise in cloud computing is partly responsible for the great starting salary, but there are also great opportunities to go into a career in software programming, systems analyst, programme developer and even entering the world of artificial intelligence.

3. Architecture - £32,000

WIth many architecture courses way over the standard 3-year length which many university degree courses adopt, landing yourself a job in the industry can see you rake in a very nice salary from day one. As you become more experienced and qualified, your salary can go through the roof - and you can decide between working in residential or commercial property.

2. Medicine - £33,000

Like engineering, categorising this as just medicine downplays the huge breadth of areas you can go into in this field. Especially due to the length of many medicine/healthcare courses, your time and commitment to studying will be rewarded and pay huge dividends. From becoming a GP, Surgeon, Dentist or even a Vet, these skills will all pay well over the course of your career - with some jobs paying well over the £34k average above. Not only can the salary be great for these roles, but they will be hugely rewarding as you could be making a difference to people’s lives.

1. Mathematics - £34,000

A degree in Maths can lead to a huge variety of career opportunities, as so many jobs can leverage the skills and competency you have with working with numbers. As the world of technology and data advances, the demand for Mathematics is not going away any time soon. From working in data, finance, marketing, computing, insurance and everything in between - you can almost go into anything.