What are the highest paying degrees? (2024)

With rising living costs, UK university tuition fees of up to £9,250 per year (or higher for international students) and the future burden of student debt, you may – understandably – be considering the return on investment when choosing what to study.

There are certain degrees that lead to certain jobs that, on average, offer higher salaries than others. The list below shows the subject areas with the highest earning potential.

But remember: it’s not all about the money. Make sure you consider other factors when making your university decisions, such as what you’re interested in and what you might want to do as a career. Also, no subject area guarantees a particular job or salary.

Top 10 highest paying degrees in the UK

We put this list together by looking at the highest figures and corresponding subject areas on our What do graduates earn table. The table shows the average starting salaries for graduates who have completed undergraduate studies in the subject and then entered employment.

Note that the average overall income in the UK for people in all jobs and from all backgrounds is just over £32,000.

This year, our top ten for the best starting salary sees an astounding seven subjects all placing 6^th.

=6. Statistics – £30,000

Making decisions based on data, the subject of Statistics feeds into many businesses. Actuarial analysts assess risk, investment analysts predict financial trends, operational researchers crunch numbers to inform management decisions and data scientists identify patterns in large data sets in sectors from healthcare to retail.

Statistics isn’t just a good subject for entry salary – those who go on to do the job well can command a premium upwards of £100,000 in senior or consultancy positions.

=6. Social Work – £30,000

Social Work stands out as it’s the only social science on this list among health and science-based subjects. The role of a social worker is a challenging one but hugely important for the wellbeing of society, and the graduate starting salary of £30,000 reflects that.

If you start as a social worker within the NHS, you’ll usually be on Band 6 of the NHS pay scale. This pays a salary of over £35,000 per year. Earnings for newly qualified social workers in local authorities varies from £28,000–£39,000. If you decide not to work as a social worker, other roles you can go into include counsellor, probation officer, youth worker and equality, diversity and inclusion manager.

=6. Robotics – £30,000

Once used in film and TV as a vision of the future, Robotics has already transformed manufacturing and logistics. With developments including cobots (collaborative robots sharing tasks in the workplace), this field could see work opportunities expand into healthcare or the food service industry.

Currently the average salary is around £42,000 in the UK but the recent growth in entry pay suggests incomes are likely to rise. Robotics is an expanding area and senior roles can already command upwards of £65,000 per year.

=6. General Engineering – £30,000

Gain a degree in General Engineering, and you can expect a starting salary of £30,000. The pay is so high because skilled engineers are in demand by almost all industries and sectors, with many employers finding it difficult to fill vacancies.

Throughout your career as an engineer, you may be lucky enough to earn a salary of £75,000 and above, especially if you have chartered status and a senior role.

=6. Electrical & Electronic Engineering – £30,000

The graduate prospects look good for students of . According to our What do graduates do data, there’s a demand for particularly skilled graduates: 72% of Electrical & Electronic Engineering students find employment soon after graduating.

You could find yourself, for example, in an analyst, consultant or management role, in industries such as aerospace, network engineering or broadcasting. You can expect to earn a starting salary of £30,000, too.

=6. Economics – £30,000

Economicsgraduates start with an average salary of £30,000, as well as a good chance of securing a graduate job; our graduate data shows that within 15 months of finishing their studies, 71% of graduates find employment, and 14% go onto further study.

With career progression, those in senior roles in banking, insurance or consultancy, for instance, may even earn a salary of £75,000 or above.

=6. Chemical Engineering – £30,000

Chemical Engineering graduates have skills that employers across many industries and sectors are after, so much so that companies pay an average starting salary of £30,000.

Over time, experienced chemical engineers can earn a lot more. Gain chartered status, land yourself a senior role and work in a high-paying industry such as oil or finance, and you could earn over £80,000 per year.

5. Veterinary Medicine – £31,000

This subject area is highly vocational, pays generously and offers excellent employment prospects. Veterinary Medicine graduates enjoy a starting salary of £31,000 as well as a 91% chance of landing a job after graduating.

It’s tough being a vet, however. Working with sick animals can be challenging, exhausting and emotional. But this is reflected in the salary potential – experienced and specialist professionals can earn £70,000 per year or higher.

=3. Pharmacology & Pharmacy – £32,000

Graduates with adegree typically become pharmacists, chemists, researchers, teachers and technicians.

They enjoy a higher starting salary than most other subject areas, at an average of £32,000. This is because graduates with skills from related courses are high in demand, especially with the continuous increase of research into new medicinal drugs.

=3. Artificial Intelligence – £32,000

Artificial Intelligencehas dominatedthe news in recent months with the emergence of generative AI, and it’s now challenging more established subjects for the highest entry salary for graduates.

AI is a fast-moving field and average salaries may well increase from the £50,000 currently seen in the UK. AI will have a huge impact on the future of work, so whether you’re a machine learning engineer, robotics scientist or an AI cloud architect, top salaries in this field are already hitting six figures.

2. Medicine – £33,000

Reap the financial rewards with Medicine, one of the highest-earning degrees you can choose. A job as a medical professional is so well paid because it tends to be difficult and highly specialised. For example, you could be a doctor, surgeon, anaesthetist, or neurologist, and within these roles, you have a lot of influence and responsibility for people’s health and wellbeing.

A starting salary in a medical career can give you around £33,000. As you grow in confidence and experience, this will increase year on year. Many medical professionals earn a six-figure salary before they retire.

1. Dentistry – £39,500

The highest-paying degree you can get – according to our graduate data – is one in Dentistry. It’s a specialised and vocational subject area, where most graduates find professional work in a dental-related role soon after completing their studies.

The average starting salary for Dentistry graduates is £39,500. With time and experience, you can expect to be earning a lot more. Salaried dentists in the NHS earn up to £100,000 per year, and private consultants can make even more. If you’re looking to choose a degree based purely on salary potential, this is the one for you