Graduate jobs Queensland: Degrees most and least likely to get you a job

UNIVERSITY students face a tough job market, with new research revealing only 71 per cent find full-time work four months after graduation. Here are the courses that lead to the highest paying work.

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FEWER university students are securing full-time work within four months of graduating than a decade ago, a national report will reveal today.

It also reveals the gender pay gap persists, dropping slightly on average, but is up to $20,000 a year in some fields.

The National Report into Graduate Outcomes, released today and coinciding with the 2018 university offers, shows 71 per cent of students work full-time four months after they finish their degree, compared to 83 per cent a decade ago.

Medicine and pharmacy graduates have the highest chance of securing a job.

The report also reveals which degrees lead to the highest and lowest paying jobs in the students’ graduate year, with dentistry leading the pack.

Undergraduate students studying medicine and pharmacy had the highest chance of securing work, each having a 95 per cent success rate of finding a full-time job within four months.

Dentistry, veterinary science, rehabilitation and teaching degrees led to more than 80 per cent of undergraduates working full-time in four months.

Creative arts courses had 53 per cent of graduates working full time, while humanities, social sciences, psychology, science and mathematics had about 60 per cent of graduates in full-time jobs.

But there has been an increase in graduates finding part-time work, rising from 17.1 per cent in 2008 to 37.9 per cent in last year.

While dental graduates are the top earners at an average income of $78,000 a year, they have the largest gender pay gap.

Dental graduates are the highest earners, however there is a large gap between female and male graduates.

Male dentists earn $94,600 compared to their female counterparts on $75,100.

But, overall, the average graduate gender pay gap has decreased to $1100, or 1.9 per cent, the lowest in 40 years.

The Federal Government is pushing for student employment outcomes to be included as a performance measure for universities wanting to receive increased funding, following a two-year freeze beginning this year.

It could see universities make savings by making cuts in courses with low-employment outcomes and focus their spending in areas of study more likely to lead to jobs.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said vocationally-oriented fields are more likely to achieve full-time employment.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said students receiving their university offers today should make their decision carefully.

“It’s also clear that graduates in vocationally-oriented fields, such as dentistry and vet science, are more likely to gain full-time employment than graduates with more generalist degrees, such as management and commerce, and social sciences.

“It’s examples such as these that students should pay close attention to when considering offers.

“By ensuring universities are more accountable and transparent about the job prospects of their graduates, we are helping students to make the right choice the first time around.”

The data will be released in full on the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website.

UNI COURSES THAT WILL GET YOU A JOB (within four months of graduation)

Science and mathematics — Full time 59 per cent, total employment 80.6 per cent

Computing and information systems — full time 73.3 per cent, total employment 82.1 per cent

Engineering — full time 79.4 per cent, total employment 86.5 per cent

Architecture and built environment — full time 75.2 per cent, total employment 87.2 per cent

Agriculture and environmental studies — full time 66.3 per cent, total employment 84.2 per cent

Health services and support — full time 72.7 per cent, total employment 89.9 per cent

Medicine — full time 95.9 per cent, total employment 95.9 per cent

Nursing — full time 79.3 per cent, total employment 91.7 per cent

Pharmacy — full time 95.2 per cent, total employment 95.8 per cent

Dentistry — full time 86.8 per cent, total employment 95.7 per cent

Veterinary science — full time 81.4 per cent, total employment 87.5 per cent

Rehabilitation — full time 85.7 per cent, total employment 95.8 per cent

Teacher education — full time 81.7 per cent, total employment 93 per cent

Business and management — full time 76.5 per cent, total employment 87.2 per cent

Humanities, culture and social sciences — full time 62.2 per cent, total employment 83.6 per cent

Social work — full time 70.9 per cent, total employment 86.1 per cent

Psychology — full time 60.3 per cent, total employment 84.8 per cent

Law and paralegal studies — full time 74.8 per cent, total employment 85.3 per cent

Creative arts — full time 53.2 per cent, total employment 80 per cent

Communications — full time 60.6 per cent, total employment 84.6 per cent

Tourism, hospitality, personal services, sport and recreation — full time 62.9 per cent, total employment 86.8 per cent

Science, technology, engineering and maths degrees result in full-time work quicker than more general humanities degrees.

WHAT THEY PAY FIRST YEAR OUT (median annual full-time salary)

Science and mathematics — $57,500

Computing and information systems — $59,900

Engineering — $64,000

Architecture and built environment — $56,400

Agriculture and environmental studies — $55,800

Health services and support — $61,300

Medicine — $70,300

Nursing — $60,000

Pharmacy — $44,200

Dentistry — $78,300

Veterinary science — $51,600

Rehabilitation — $61,500

Teacher education — $63,500

Business and management — $55,200

Humanities, culture and social sciences — $57,000

Social work — $62,600

Psychology — $57,600

Law and paralegal studies — $60,000

Creative arts — $48,000

Communications — $50,000

Tourism, hospitality, personal services, sport and recreation — $52,200

Source: 2017 Graduate Outcomes Survey National Report