Starting salaries on the up for engineering graduates
The average salary earned by mechanical engineering graduates has increased by more than £1,000 according to a new survey, while salaries earned by engineering graduates as a whole have remained higher than average.
The annual What Do Graduates Do? report, published by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, is based on a survey of 2010 graduates taken approximately six months after they finished their degrees.
It reveals that the average salaries for full time, first degree civil, mechanical and electrical and electronic engineering graduates entering full time employment in the UK were above the average for all first degree graduates (£19,695).
Mechanical engineering graduates averaged £23,993 (compared to £22,878 in 2009), while civil engineering graduates and electrical and electronic engineering graduates averaged £22,891 and £21,852, respectively.
"The construction and engineering industries were amongst the hardest hit sectors by the recession, but professional bodies remain positive that these industries will recover from this testing time," the report states. "In particular, the sector looks set to benefit from government support for power generation, low carbon technologies and other advanced engineering projects."
