Higher Education Outcomes - Graduation Years 2010-2016

This chapter examines the weekly earnings of graduates in the years after graduation, and how earnings differ across various parameters. Only income through the PAYE system is included in this analysis - income from self-employment activities registered through the self-assessment system is excluded here. Median values for earnings are presented in each case and all values are rounded to the nearest €5. All earnings relate to gross pay and are adjusted for inflation using the 'Consumer Price Index' (base = December 2016). 

Median earnings of €475 per week for 2016 graduates

Median weekly earnings for all graduates increased from €420 per week for 2010 graduates to €475 per week for 2016 graduates, an increase of €55 per week over the six year period. Male and female graduates from 2010 had identical median weekly earnings of €420 per week. In the following years, a gap between male and female earnings emerged, with men earning €25 per week more than women for the graduation years of 2013 to 2015. In the most recent year, this gap has reduced to €15 per week, with median weekly earnings of €485 per week for men compared to €470 per week for women.

Interactive table: Statbank Link HEO12

Graduate earnings rose to €670 per week after five years

Median weekly earnings for 2012 graduates after one, three and five years are shown in figure 4.2. The figure includes data for male and female graduates separately. The median value among all graduates was €415 per week in the first year after graduation, rising to €545 after three years and €670 per week at five years after graduation, an increase of approximately €65 per week each year. 

In the first year after graduation, median weekly earnings for male graduates was €425 per week, and this was €20 per week higher than female earnings which stood at €405 per week. At five years after graduation, this gap was €35 per week, with male graduates earning €690 per week compared to €655 for female graduates.

Interactive table: Statbank Link HEO12

Graduates of 'Education' and 'Health & Welfare' see highest earnings in first year after graduation

'Education' graduates had the highest earnings in the first year after graduation for 2016 graduates, with median earnings of €625 per week. This was followed by 'Health and Welfare' graduates who had median earnings of €610 per week. 'Information and Communication Technologies' had the next highest earnings, at €565 per week. In the case of 'Education', the earnings for 2016 graduates were significantly lower than those who graduated in 2010, with 'Education' graduates in that year receiving €710 per week in the first year after graduation. All other fields of study saw an increase in earnings for new graduates between 2010 and 2016. 

The field with the lowest median earnings was 'Arts and Humanities', with weekly earnings for 2016 graduates of €355. The second lowest earnings was among 'Services' graduates, with €380 per week, while graduates from 'Social Sciences, Journalism and Information' received €440 per week in the first year after graduation. It should be noted that this analysis includes graduates who were classified as being 'in employment and education'. This proportion, taken relative to the total number in substantial employment, is high for fields including 'Arts and Humanities' and 'Services'. Therefore, the lower earnings in certain fields may be partially explained by graduates engaging in part-time work while they continue their studies. 

Interactive table: Statbank Link HEO12

ICT graduates receive highest earnings five years after graduation

Initial earnings for 2012 graduates were highest in 'Education', at €615 per week, followed by 'Health and Welfare' at €530 per week. Graduates from 'Information and Communication Technologies' had the third highest earnings of €520 per week in the first year after graduation, but this was also the field which saw the greatest increase in earnings over the following four years. Five years after graduation, graduates from 'Information and Communication Technologies' had the highest weekly earnings of €815, an increase of €295 from the first year after graduation. 

Interactive table: Statbank Link HEO12

Earnings by NFQ level

Earnings rose with increasing NFQ level, with graduates from 2016 with NFQ level 6 awards (advanced or higher certificates) receiving the lowest median earnings of €285 per week. Next was NFQ level 7 holders (ordinary bachelor's degrees) who earned €380 per week, followed by NFQ level 8 graduates (honours bachelor's degrees) who had median earnings of €475 per week. Graduates with level 9 awards (master's and postgraduate Diplomas) earned €560 per week while those graduating with an NFQ level 10 qualification (doctoral degrees) had the highest weekly earnings of €710 per week. 

The greatest increase in weekly earnings between 2010 and 2016 was among NFQ level 7 graduates, with earnings increasing from €290 per week for 2010 graduates to €380 for those graduating in 2016. Graduates from 2016 with level 10 awards had almost identical earnings to those who graduated six years earlier in 2010. 

Interactive table: Statbank Link HEO12

Go to next Chapter: Background statistics