This chapter examines the sectors of employment and median weekly earnings of Irish healthcare graduates' main employment in the years after graduation. Only graduates who were in 'substantial PAYE employment' were included in this analysis. The 'main employer' for each individual is the employer which contributes the single largest pay to that individual over the course of the year.
Earnings are only calculated for those who had earned income through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. Earnings are supressed for graduation cohorts where less than 15 graduates had earnings available.
Further details on graduates' main employment, public/private sector employment and the calculation of median weekly earnings are provided in the Background Notes.
Around 65% of 2013 nursing and midwifery graduates, who were in 'substantial PAYE employment' 10 years after graduation, worked in the Hospital Activities sector as their main employment while a further 8% worked the Public Administration & Defence sector and 4% worked in General Medical Practice Activities.
Over half (58%) of 2013 medicine graduates, who were in 'substantial PAYE employment' 10 years after graduation, worked in Hospital Activities as their main employment while a further 16% worked in General Medical Practice Activities. When compared with five years after graduation, 79% of these graduates worked in Hospital Activities while 1% worked in General Medical Practice Activities.
Three-in-four radiography and radiation therapy graduates worked in Hospital Activities 10 years after graduation while the remaining graduates worked in Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities, Public Administration & Defence, Education and Industry. All radiography and radiation therapy graduates worked in Hospital Activities between two and four years after graduation.
Half of medical science graduates worked in Hospital Activities in their first year after graduation. This proportion increased to 95% after five years and decreased to 85% after 10 years.
Most social work graduates, who were substantially employed 10 years after graduation, worked in the Public Administration & Defence sector (57%) while a further 25% worked in Hospital Activities.
Approximately 70% of 2013 nursing and midwifery graduates in 'substantial PAYE employment' worked in the public sector as their main employment after 10 years. A similar proportion of nursing and midwifery graduates worked in the public sector after five years.
The majority (93%) of 2013 medicine graduates worked in the public sector as their main employment after five years. The proportion who worked in the public sector decreased to 81% after seven years and to 71% after 10 years.
Of all 2013 speech and language therapy graduates, 79% worked in the public sector 10 years after graduation. Over half (58%) of 2013 social care graduates worked in the private sector 10 years after graduation.
Of all social work graduates, who graduated in 2013, 36% worked in the public sector one year after graduation. After 10 years, 86% of this cohort worked in the public sector.
Median weekly earnings for 2013 graduates in 'substantial PAYE employment' 10 years after graduation were highest for medicine graduates who earned €1,971 per week. The lowest median weekly earnings for 2013 graduates after 10 years were social care graduates who earned €813 per week.
Amongst healthcare graduates from 2013, medical science graduates experienced the largest increase in median weekly earnings between one and 10 years after graduation. Their median earnings more than doubled, from €603 per week after one year to €1,486 after 10 years.
Male nursing and midwifery graduates, who graduated in 2013, earned €30 more per week than female graduates one year after graduation with male graduates earning a median of €647 per week compared to €617 for female graduates. After 10 years this difference increased to €219 per week, with male nursing and midwifery graduates earning €1,260 per week compared to €1,041 for female graduates.
Male medicine graduates, who graduated in 2013, earned €26 per week more than female graduates one year after graduation with male graduates earning a median of €1,055 per week compared to €1,029 for female graduates. After 10 years this difference increased to €790 per week, with male medicine graduates earning €2,516 per week compared to €1,726 for female graduates.
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