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Grad Salary News

By Zsa-Zsa Bowie Wilson

Some grads entering the booming resources sector in Western Australia and Queensland are scoring starting salaries of $100,000 plus.

According to the Good Universities Guides annual rankings of Australia's universities, Western Australian and Queensland now dominate its list of which universities produce the greatest number of grads in terms of both job numbers and salary. The guide's Richard Evered said NSW once held the first 16 places but was unlikely to regain its former dominance. Evered expects "that the resources boom in Western Australia, Queensland and to an extent South Australia will [impact] on future research results."

However, he said future grads salaries could also be boosted by state or Federal government trying to tackle candidate shortfalls in essential areas. "For example, increased salaries in education and nursing are purely a reflection of government policy," Evered explained.

Brandon Thompson, the managing director of specialist recruitment agency Graduate Programs Australia, has been watching the salary trends closely.

"In the mines and minerals sector, some graduate salaries start at $100,000 plus a year and general engineering graduate salaries can start at $80,000 a year," Thompson said. "Grads salaries have gone up in other areas too for example in Queensland's public sector graduate jobs in a general discipline can start at $47,500 a year plus super plus benefits."

While grads are enjoying higher salaries, Bruce Guthrie of Graduate Careers Australia warned students not to base their career decisions on future earnings. He said people should choose degree courses based on their academic ability and work preference.

"If education and career decisions are made purely on a salary basis, graduates could end up as a square peg in a round hole," Guthrie said.

Other news from the 2007 edition of the Guide includes:

- The University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne and Bond University on the Gold Coast would charge students more than $200,000 to complete degrees in medicine. 
- Entry marks for universities  have dropped by an average three or four points across the country.
- The University of New England in country NSW was voted the best educational experience by students.
- The Australian National University received a high five-star ranking in six categories, including graduate employment, graduate starting salary and staff qualifications.

By Zsa-Zsa Bowie Wilson, careerone.com.au