28 July, 2009     In early 2008 new bachelor degree graduates experienced the highest percentage in full-time employment in nearly two decades, according to recently released findings from the annual Australian Graduate Survey.

The research, conducted by Graduate Careers Australia (GCA), indicated that 85.2 per cent of Australian
bachelor degree graduates found full-time employment within four months of completing their degrees, the
highest rate since 1990, when 87.8 per cent of bachelor degree graduates secured full-time employment.

The fields with the highest proportion of graduates in full-time employment were mining engineering (100.0
per cent), pharmacy (97.9 per cent), medicine (97.6 per cent) and civil engineering (97.3 per cent). The fields
with the lowest proportion of graduates in full-time employment at the time of the survey were visual and
performing arts (66.9 per cent), life sciences (74.6 per cent) and humanities (75.3 per cent).

The median starting salary for bachelor degree graduates in 2008 was $45,000, up from $43,000 in 2007.   

The fields with the highest median starting salaries were dentistry ($70,000), optometry ($60,000),
engineering ($54,000), earth sciences ($50,000) and medicine ($50,000). The fields with the lowest median
starting salaries were pharmacy ($34,000), art and design ($36,700), veterinary science ($40,000), and
humanities ($40,000).

For more information on Graduate Outcomes across states, employment rates and graduate starting salaries visit Graduate Careers Australia.

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