Choosing a university degree is one of the most important decisions many students make. While higher education is often associated with better career opportunities, graduate outcomes vary significantly across fields of study. Using data from the 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey, this article explores how employment rates and salaries differ between Australian university disciplines. The findings reveal substantial gaps between study areas, with some graduates enjoying strong employment prospects and high earnings, while others face challenges in both areas. The following five visualisations examine employment success, salary outcomes, salary growth, and overall graduate risk across Australian degree programs.

Some Degrees Offer Far Better Employment Prospects Than Others

Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2024. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)

Note: Values represent the percentage of graduates in full-time employment approximately four to six months after course completion.

The first chart compares the highest and lowest performing disciplines in terms of full-time employment rates. Health-related fields dominate the top positions, with Rehabilitation, Pharmacy and Medicine all exceeding 90%. At the other end of the spectrum, Creative Arts graduates report the lowest employment rate at only 48.4%. Communications and Science & Mathematics also fall well below the national average. These results suggest that employment opportunities vary dramatically depending on the chosen field of study.

Graduate Earnings Differ Significantly Across Disciplines

Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2024. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)

Note: Median full-time salary figures are reported in Australian dollars (AUD).

Employment is only part of the story. Graduate salaries reveal even greater variation between disciplines. Interestingly, Pharmacy graduates achieve strong employment outcomes despite reporting one of the lowest median salaries among the selected disciplines. Dentistry, Medicine, and Social Work graduates report some of the highest median salaries, reflecting strong labour market demand. In contrast, Creative Arts, Tourism, and Communications graduates earn substantially less during the early stages of their careers. These differences highlight how degree choice can influence both employability and financial outcomes.

Salary Growth Has Not Been Equal Across Degrees

Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2024. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)

Note: Salary growth represents the change in median full-time salary between 2023 and 2024.

While salaries increased across most disciplines between 2023 and 2024, the rate of growth varied considerably. Dentistry experienced one of the strongest increases, while several other disciplines recorded only modest gains. This suggests that some professions are benefiting more from current labour market conditions than others. Understanding salary growth provides a longer-term perspective beyond a single year’s earnings. Several disciplines with strong employment rates still deliver below-average salaries, demonstrating that finding a job and earning a high income are not necessarily the same outcome.

Employment Success Does Not Always Translate Into Higher Pay

Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2024. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)

Note: Dashed lines represent average employment and salary outcomes across all study areas.

This multivariate visualisation combines employment rates and salaries to reveal four distinct groups of graduates. Some disciplines achieve both high employment and high salaries, placing them in the most favourable quadrant. Others enjoy strong employment outcomes but lower earnings, while a smaller group experiences weaker outcomes across both measures. The chart demonstrates that employment and salary should be considered together when evaluating graduate success.

Which Degrees Face the Greatest Challenges?

Source: Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) 2024. https://www.qilt.edu.au/surveys/graduate-outcomes-survey-(gos)

Note: Risk Score combines employment and salary gaps relative to the average outcomes across all study areas. Higher scores indicate greater overall disadvantage.

The final chart combines employment and salary indicators into a graduate outcome risk score. Creative Arts records the highest risk score, followed by Communications and Tourism-related disciplines. These fields tend to experience both lower employment rates and lower salaries compared with many other study areas. While individual outcomes always vary, the results suggest that graduates from these disciplines may face greater challenges when entering the labour market.

Conclusion

University education remains an important pathway to professional success, but not all degrees deliver the same outcomes. The analysis shows substantial differences in employment rates, salaries, salary growth, and overall graduate risk. Health-related disciplines consistently perform strongly, while several creative and communication-focused fields face greater challenges.These findings challenge the common assumption that all university degrees provide similar returns. While higher education generally improves employment opportunities, labour market outcomes vary considerably between disciplines.Students should therefore consider both personal interests and graduate outcomes when making study decisions. Employment prospects, salary levels, and long-term career opportunities all play an important role in shaping future success. Taking these factors into account can help support more informed choices about study and career pathways.