The table presents data on the employment rates and average annual salaries of new graduates from an Australian university in 2009, across six fields of study.
Overall, graduates in health, law, and engineering and IT not only had relatively high employment rates but also earned higher salaries, whereas those in social studies, arts, and science generally faced lower job prospects and more modest incomes.
In terms of employment, health graduates achieved the highest rate at 91%, followed closely by law (88%) and engineering and IT (85%). By contrast, social studies recorded the lowest employment rate, with only 67% of graduates securing work, while arts (72%) and science (75%) fell in the mid-range.
When it comes to salaries, law graduates earned the most, with an annual average of $59,000, slightly above engineering and IT at $56,000. Science graduates followed with $43,000, marginally higher than those from health and arts, who each earned $42,000. Meanwhile, social studies graduates not only had the poorest job prospects but also the lowest average income at $38,000.
In summary, professional and technical fields such as law and engineering offered both stronger employment opportunities and higher salaries, while social and artistic disciplines tended to provide weaker outcomes for new graduates.