Being a student often means having to get by without much money, completely reliant on the next instalment of a grant or loan to come in (or mum and dad to send you some cash). Things won’t always be this desperate though. One day, you’ll be earning money. If you’re lucky, you might even be earning lots of money.
Start fantasizing about what you’ll spend your first month’s wages on by looking at this list of the average salaries for different jobs and careers. Figures are based on national data for the US and UK.
Accounting & finance
|
Average accounting & finance salaries in the UK |
|
|
Brokers |
£41,116 |
|
Actuaries |
£56,564 |
|
Economists |
£36,804 |
|
Statistician |
£31,233 |
|
Finance and investment analysts and advisers |
£34,311 |
|
Accounting technician |
£20,456 |
|
Insurance underwriters |
£26,896 |
|
Financial accounts managers |
£26,950 |
|
Chartered accountants |
£35,126 |
|
Finance officers |
£22,893 |
|
Average accounting & finance salaries in the US |
|
|
Actuaries |
$102,880 |
|
Accountants and auditors |
$70,500 |
|
Personal financial advisors |
$88,890 |
|
Financial analysts |
$85,660 |
|
Financial examiners |
$80,180 |
|
Budget analysts |
$76,220 |
|
Insurance underwriters |
$69,380 |
|
Loan officers |
$63,040 |
|
Cost estimators |
$64,040 |
|
Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents |
$54,440 |
Architecture
|
Average architecture salaries in the UK |
|
|
Architects (not landscape or naval) |
£32,887 |
|
Landscape architects |
£25,531 |
|
Naval architects |
£38,472 |
|
Architectural technologists |
£24,329 |
|
Architectural designers |
£27,006 |
|
Average architecture salaries in the US |
|
|
Architectural and engineering managers |
$140,760 |
|
Architects |
$79,380 |
|
Drafters |
$55,550 |
Art & design
|
Average art & design salaries in the UK |
|
|
Graphic designers |
£22,039 |
|
Artists (data from Glass Door) |
£26,433 |
|
Archivists |
£26,433 |
|
Musicians |
£27,014 |
|
Average art & design salaries in the US |
|
|
Producers and directors |
$71,680 |
|
Multimedia artists and animators |
$72,520 |
|
All art and design occupations |
$46,660 |
|
Archivists, curators and museum technicians |
$48,400 |
|
Graphic designers |
$50,370 |
Business & management
|
Average business & management salaries in the UK |
|
|
Chief executives and senior officials |
£89,073 |
|
Marketing directors |
£64,948 |
|
Financial managers |
£40,049 |
|
Human resource managers |
£35,607 |
|
Purchasing managers |
£33,788 |
|
Business development managers |
£33,126 |
|
Project management director |
£72,684 |
|
Management consultants |
£47,975 |
|
Business analysts |
£35,341 |
|
Senior sales executives |
£24,808 |
|
Sales administrators |
£18,372 |
|
Average business & management salaries in the US |
|
|
Management analysts |
$83,610 |
|
Logisticians |
$74,600 |
|
Budget analysts |
$76,220 |
|
Operations research analysts |
$83,390 |
|
Market research analysts |
$63,120 |
|
Human resources specialists |
$60,880 |
|
Training and development specialists |
$60,870 |
Computer science & information technology
|
Average computer science & IT salaries in the UK |
|
|
Information technology directors |
£78,189 |
|
IT specialist |
£35,766 |
|
IT project managers |
£41,545 |
|
IT business analysts |
£35,341 |
|
Telecommunications specialist |
£26,351 |
|
Programmers |
£30,326 |
|
Software development managers |
£54,347 |
|
Telecommunications engineers |
£26,351 |
|
Average computer science & IT salaries in the US |
|
|
Computer and information research scientists |
$118,370 |
|
Software developers |
$105,590 |
|
Information security analysts |
$98,350 |
|
Computer systems analysts |
$88,740 |
|
Computer network architects |
$109,020 |
|
Computer programmers |
$84,280 |
|
Web developers |
$69,430 |
|
Computer support specialists |
$53,470 |
Engineering
|
Average engineering salaries in the UK |
|
|
Aircraft engineers |
£34,356 |
|
Design engineering manager |
£50,375 |
|
Production managers in manufacturing |
£34,965 |
|
Electrical engineers |
£31,308 |
|
Mechanical engineers |
£30,630 |
|
Electronics engineers |
£29,287 |
|
Product development engineers |
£30,003 |
|
Civil engineers |
£31,046 |
|
Mining engineers |
£40,695 |
|
Quality control engineers |
£27,519 |
|
Engineering technicians |
£23,093 |
|
Average engineering salaries in the US |
|
|
Computer hardware engineers |
$114,600 |
|
Aerospace engineers |
$115,220 |
|
Chemical engineers |
$104,910 |
|
Electronics engineers (except computer) |
$99,070 |
|
Mining and geological engineers |
$92,250 |
|
Nuclear engineers |
$107,600 |
|
Petroleum engineers |
$137,170 |
|
Marine engineers and naval architects |
$92,560 |
|
Biomedical engineers |
$88,550 |
|
Materials engineers |
$92,390 |
|
Mechanical engineers |
$87,370 |
|
Civil engineers |
$86,640 |
|
Environmental engineers |
$87,620 |
|
Industrial engineers |
$87,040 |
|
Agricultural engineers |
$77,110 |
|
Drafters |
$55,550 |
Law
|
Average legal salaries in the UK |
|
|
Attorney/lawyer |
£45,920 |
|
Solicitors |
£35,876 |
|
Barristers |
£50,987 |
|
Law firm partner |
£72,138 |
|
Average legal salaries in the US |
|
|
Lawyers |
$120,910 |
|
Judges and hearing officers |
$117,190 |
|
Arbitrators, mediators and conciliators |
$62,270 |
|
Court reporters |
$57,150 |
|
Paralegals and legal assistants |
$50,940 |
Media & communications
|
Average media & communications salaries in the UK |
|
|
Public relations directors |
£71,483 |
|
Advertising accounts managers |
£26,423 |
|
Creative directors |
£48,930 |
|
Journalists |
£23,552 |
|
Public relations managers |
£32,648 |
|
Author/writer |
£36,100 |
|
Average media & communications salaries in the US |
|
|
Writers and editors |
$62,170 |
|
Public relations specialists |
$60,000 |
|
News analysts, reporters and correspondents |
$43,490 |
|
Broadcast and sound engineering technicians |
$43,660 |
|
Announcers |
$31,990 |
Medicine & life sciences
|
Average medical & life sciences salaries in the UK |
|
|
General Practice Doctors |
£50,731 |
|
Midwifes |
£27,010 |
|
Dentists |
£49,949 |
|
Biochemists |
£30,167 |
|
Veterinarians |
£31,091 |
|
Pharmacists |
£34,910 |
|
Paramedics |
£25,553 |
|
Psychologists |
£31,341 |
|
Average medical & life sciences salaries in the US |
|
|
Physicians and surgeons |
$208,000 |
|
Dentists |
$156,240 |
|
Veterinarians |
$93,830 |
|
Medical scientists |
$84,810 |
|
Biological technicians |
$44,500 |
|
Psychologists |
$79,010 |
|
Conservation scientists and foresters |
$61,340 |
Natural sciences
|
Average natural sciences salaries in the UK |
|
|
Research scientists |
£30,966 |
|
Research chemists |
£29,062 |
|
Environmental scientists |
£26,592 |
|
Geoscientists (but not hydrologists or geographers) |
£32,712 |
|
Average natural sciences salaries in the US |
|
|
Biological Technicians |
$44,500 |
|
Environmental scientists |
$71,130 |
|
Chemists and materials scientists |
$78,330 |
|
Geoscientists |
$91,130 |
This article was originally published in March 2015. It was last updated in June 2019.
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