The tables provide information about the average salaries of graduates and non-graduates in the UK in 2010, both overall and across different age groups.
Overall, graduates earned significantly more than non-graduates at all ages. While graduates’ salaries peaked at age 52, non-graduates experienced a gradual decline after the age of 32.
Looking at the overall figures, graduates had an average salary of £54,000, nearly double that of non-graduates, who earned £29,000. In terms of age-specific data, graduates at age 22 earned £24,000 compared to only £14,300 for non-graduates, showing a gap of nearly £10,000 from the start of their careers.
As individuals aged, salaries increased for both groups, but more substantially for graduates. By age 32, graduates earned £32,200, while non-graduates received £19,100. The earnings of graduates continued to rise slightly with age, peaking at £34,380 at 52 years. In contrast, non-graduates peaked earlier at age 32 (£19,100) and then saw a consistent decline, reaching £15,280 by age 62. Interestingly, at the end of their working lives, the salary difference remained wide, with graduates still earning almost double.