The tables compare the average salaries of graduates and non-graduates in the UK, both overall and across different age groups.
Overall, graduates earned considerably more than non-graduates. The average salary for all age groups was £29,900 for graduates, compared with £17,800 for those without a degree. In addition, earnings for both groups generally increased with age before declining later in life, although the rise was much more pronounced among graduates.
At age 22, graduates earned £15,800, only slightly higher than the £14,500 received by non-graduates. However, the gap widened significantly by age 32, when graduates earned £31,500, compared with £19,100 for non-graduates. Graduate salaries continued to rise to £32,800 at age 42 and peaked at £33,900 at 52. In contrast, non-graduate earnings remained relatively stable at around £19,000 in their thirties and forties, before falling to £18,200 at 52.
By age 62, salaries had decreased for both groups, to £23,100 for graduates and £15,300 for non-graduates, though graduates still maintained a substantial advantage.