What are the best paid jobs in the UK? 💸

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Everyone is after good jobs that pay well, and many graduates are after the best paying jobs.

Whether you’re looking for your first graduate job or considering a career change, money will likely play a big part in your decision. So…

What are the best-paid jobs in the UK?

If a top-paying job is important to you, our list of the highest-paid jobs in the UK will seriously aid your job search.

We’ve compiled this list of well paying jobs based on data from Give a Grad a Go, and from company review website Glassdoor.

We’ve divided up the best-paid jobs into the highest-paying entry-level jobs and the careers with the highest salary potential.

Interested to discover high paying graduate jobs UK?

Check out our list of highest-paying careers below.

If you are on your job hunt, take a look at what graduate jobs we have live on the site.

 

The highest paying jobs span a range of sectors and specialisms, from Healthcare to Finance.

Below is a list of highly paid careers, with the average entry-level salary against the top-end salary potential.

You can increase your chance of landing one of these jobs by joining a recruitment agency!

What jobs pay the most: Infographic

Highest paying jobs in the UK

What are the highest paying jobs?

  • Graduate jobs in the legal sector tend to be high paying jobs with sky-high potential earnings.

    According to Glassdoor, the average potential salary is £102k, although many senior Attorneys will earn even more than this.

  • Operations graduate jobs are paid moderately well, with an average of £23k as a starting salary.

    However, salaries can rise quickly in Operations; with the average Director of Operations paid £100k.

    They might also have the job title of COO (Chief Operations Officer).

  • Graduate marketing jobs are paid an average of £23k starting basic salary, with potential earnings nearing the £100k mark or higher, depending on the sector.

    Glassdoor data reveals that a Marketing Director/Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) earns an average of £92k per year; making it one of the highest-paid jobs in business.

    Check out what Marketing Graduate Jobs we have live on our site right now!

  • Careers in the medical / healthcare sector can be amongst the most highly paid jobs.

    A Junior Doctor can expect to earn an average of £27k, while a General Practitioner has the potential to earn a salary of £88k or above.

    Although many Junior Medical jobs aren’t as well paid as jobs in business, a GP is one that is certainly a lucrative field to go into.

  • If you studied Geology at university and are looking to go into a related field, Graduate Geology jobs are relatively well-paid; at a graduate and a more senior level.

    A graduate Geologist will earn an average of £28k, while potential earnings for geology jobs reach an average of £82k – especially if you go into one of the more niche geology jobs (UK).

  • Recruitment is a lucrative career choice due to the commission it usually offers.

    At a graduate level, Recruitment Consultants earn an average of £23k as a starting salary, plus commission.

    Potential salary for recruitment jobs reaches up to £80k as a basic, plus a lot of commission on top of that.

    For this reason, recruitment is arguably one of the best paid jobs.

    Looking for Recruitment Consultant jobs? We’re hiring! Find out what it’s like to work for a Graduate Recruitment Agency.

  • While entry-level creative careers may not be the highest-paid jobs, the potential earnings make them high-value careers for graduates.

    Salaries on Glassdoor report that a Creative Director may earn around £80k. Although many creative careers are as high paid as jobs in business, a Creative Director can earn a seriously competitive salary for their work.

    See what creative and design jobs there are out there.

     

  • Graduate jobs in investment banking pay £27k on average as a starting salary.

    However, a senior Investment Banker role can pay an average of £78k in potential earnings – making it one of the best paying jobs in capital goods!

    Interested in a career in Banking? Check out what graduate jobs in banking we have available.

  • As a beginner, an entry-level Airline Pilot will earn approximately £36k; but bear in mind that they will have gone through at lot of training before this.

    A senior Airline Pilot will earn an average of £64k according to Glassdoor salary reports – making this role one of the best paid jobs in the UK.

  • As a graduate, a career in data offers an average salary of £27k – which is fairly high for a graduate salary.

    For a Data Scientist, the average potential salary is £61k; however this can be much higher depending on the company and level of seniority.

    If you have a Data Science degree or similar, you might be interested in science graduate jobs or graduate software jobs.

Highest paid jobs UK list:

  • Attorney
  • Director of Operations
  • Marketing Director
  • General Practitioner
  • Geologist
  • Recruitment Consultant
  • Creative Director
  • Investment Banker
  • Airline Pilot
  • Data Scientist
  • Software engineer
  • Business Analyst
  • Civil Engineer

What are the best paid graduate jobs based on skills & interests?

As a graduate, you need to not only think about salary, but also the career that best fits your skills and interests.

To help you find the perfect balance between starting salary and job satisfaction, we’ve listed the highest paying jobs based upon certain attributes, for example the best-paid sales jobs or the best-paid tech jobs for graduates.

Read more about the specifics of each of these graduate jobs below – and why they’re the best-paid jobs for graduates.

Highest-paid-graduate-jobs-based-on-skills-and-interests

What are the best paid jobs for tech graduates?

  • A Data Engineer is responsible for providing and maintaining analytics infrastructure, such as databases and large-scale processing systems.

    Demand for Data Engineers & Data Scientists is booming, so it’s a lucrative career to get in to as a graduate, and one of the most high paid jobs in business.

    Click here to find engineering graduate jobs today.

    Average graduate starting salary: £35,000 p/a

  • A Web Developer, also known as a Web Programmer, is responsible for designing, coding and making changes to websites.

    Web Developers are in high demand, and need specific technical skills, hence the high starting-salary for technology graduate jobs.

    It’s widely understood that Developers earn a high salary for their work – and are amongst the highest paying jobs in the UK.

    Average graduate starting salary: £29,000 p/a

     

  • A Software Developer, also known as a Computer Programmer, is responsible for designing and coding computer programmes and operating systems.

    They also play a key role in installation, testing, and ongoing maintenance.

    Software Developers need to know specific programming languages; including Java, Python, C, and JavaScript. Many Software Developers will know a few different computer programming languages.

    Average graduate starting salary: £27,000 p/a

    Find jobs for Software Developers here.

Full list of well paid jobs UK for tech graduates:

  • Date Engineer
  • Web Developer
  • Software Developer
  • DevOps Engineer
  • Data Security Analyst
  • Data scientist
  • Front End Developer
  • Full-Stack Developer

What is the highest paying creative job?

  • A Creative Lead works on an aspect of a larger project; they may act as team leader for a group of artists.

    They will make creative decisions for brands and companies, working on projects such as advertisements, websites, products, events and so on.

    Average graduate starting salary: £30,000 p/a

  • A UI Designer focuses on user interface of a product, i.e. the look and layout.

    Whereas a UX Designer focuses on the user experience of a product, so how something works and people’s interactions with it.

    Both UI Designers and UX Designers are in real demand, so they are high paid jobs with good starting and potential salaries!

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a

  • A Social Media Executive sits within a marketing team, managing all social media channels, such as, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.

    Social media has become one of the largest digital channels for many businesses. So, it’s a good job to consider if you’re looking for career progression and big responsibility.

    Find Marketing jobs in London and across the UK.

    Average graduate starting salary: £24,000 p/a

Full list of creative jobs that earn a lot of money UK:

  • Creative Lead
  • UI/UX Designer
  • Social Media Executive
  • Marketing Director
  • Brand Manager
  • Graphic Designer
  • Copywriter
  • PR Manager

What are the highest paid jobs for maths graduates?

  • A Business Analyst is responsible for analysing company data such as financials, operations, and technology.

    They help to set business goals and implement processes to reach those goals.

    So, like an Operations Manager, they’ll need to have a great understanding of existing processes within the business.

    Business Analysts tend to sit within a company’s Operations/Management team, so are high up on the list of the best paid jobs in the UK.

    Average graduate starting salary: £30,000 p/a

    Find Business Analyst jobs on our job board and apply today!

  • A Financial Analyst examines and reports on financial data, and uses this information to inform business decisions.

    Analyst graduate jobs tend to be fairly well paid jobs across the board! But the average graduate starting salary for Financial Analyst tops the bill!

    Financial Analysts can be one of the highest paying jobs in business!

    Keen to pursue a career as a Finance Analyst? Apply to Graduate Finance jobs now!

    Average graduate starting salary: £28,000 p/a

  • An Accountant sits within a Finance team, and is responsible for recording business transactions, reporting on financial performance, and issuing financial statements.

    At a graduate level, a Junior Accountant will sometimes receive training to become a Part-Qualified Accountant or a Fully Qualified Accountant.

    Not only are Accountancy jobs amongst the best paid jobs in the UK, they will often also include training to develop your career.

    Interested in becoming an Accountant?

    Check out what graduate Accounting Jobs we have available.

    Average graduate starting salary: £26,000 p/a

Full list of the highest paying careers for maths grads:

  • Business Analyst
  • Financial Analyst
  • Junior Accountant
  • Data Scientist
  • Management Consultant
  • Computer Scientists
  • Risk Manager

What are the highest paying target driven jobs for fresh graduates?

  • A Broker is responsible for buying and selling goods/assets for others.

    They then charge a fee or commission for doing so.

    As with many graduate finance jobs, a career as a Broker offers a good starting basic salary, as well as generous commission on top.

    Brokers are highly in-demand because they are able to generate so much revenue for companies; making it one of the best paying jobs in capital goods, and one of the best paid jobs (UK).

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a (plus commission)

  • A Business Development Executive plays a key role in growing a company; by selling particular products or services to new customers.

    They will undertake research to find profitable new leads, and then reach out to potential customers to encourage them to purchase (they are also known as Sales Executives).

    Graduate sales jobs are amongst the best paid jobs in the UK, usually combining a good basic salary with high commission on top.

    Check out what sales & business development jobs we have.

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a (plus commission)

  • An Events Manager plans, organises, and promotes events, ensuring a high engagement rate and return on investment, similar to project management.

    They can be extremely well-paid at graduate level, and as you gain more experience be amongst the highest paid jobs.

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a (plus commission)

     

What are some high paying entrepreneurial jobs for graduates

  • A Business Strategy Analyst is responsible for identifying business needs and developing plans to determine strategy and direction.

    They tend to work within the IT & Tech, Finance, Banking, and Business Sectors. Given the combination of skills that a job as a Business Strategy Analyst requires, the graduate starting salary is usually fairly high.

    Find graduate Business Analyst jobs here.

    Average graduate starting salary: £40,000 p/a

  • An E-Commerce Coordinator oversees a company’s online sales.

    They may also be involved in decision-making when it comes to the company’s website, social media and online advertising.

    Graduate e-commerce jobs tend to have an above-average starting salary.

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a

    Take a look at our fmcg graduate schemes and e-commerce jobs!

  • A Growth Manager is responsible for analysing data and results, and developing a plan to acquire and retain customers.

    They usually sit within the marketing team.

    Growth Managers are often seen as a crucial part of a startup company; and therefore the starting salary will reflect this.

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a

Best paid graduate jobs that help people

  • An Executive Assistant is responsible for providing support to senior management (often a company CEO).

    Their role will involve diary management, scheduling, office organisation and compliance.

    Acting as the right-hand person to a senior member of staff will often equate to an above-average starting salary for graduates.

    Average graduate starting salary: £26,000 p/a

  • A Business Consultant works with clients, analysing their business requirements, collecting information and executing business projects on their behalf.

    Consultants tend to be fairly well-paid; and an entry-level Business Consultant can expect to receive somewhere in the mid-£20k range – plus a lot of training!

    Average graduate starting salary: £25,000 p/a

  • A Recruitment Consultant is responsible for matching candidates to jobs.

    They work with employers to identify, attract and recruit staff for their roles.

    Recruitment Consultants tend to have a good starting salary, coupled with commission.

    Because of this combination, graduate recruitment jobs top our list of ‘What are the best paid jobs in the UK’?

    Looking for Recruitment Consultant jobs? We’re hiring! Find out what it’s like to work for us.

    Average graduate starting salary: £24,000 p/a (plus commission)

What are the best-paid jobs without a degree?

If you’re looking for high-paying jobs without a degree, some of the graduate jobs listed below don’t always require them.

Additionally, many entrepreneurial jobs don’t require qualifications.

Some of the world’s best-known entrepreneurs dropped out of university without a degree; and CEOs / Business Owners can earn huge amounts, depending on the size of the company.

Large corporates will regularly offer rotational graduate programmes to candidates who haven’t necessarily gone to university.

These often involve management training, and working across various departments within a large business. For those looking for the highest paying jobs without a degree, these could be a good option.

The best-paid jobs UK without qualifications include:

Read more career advice UK on our blog, or find graduate jobs on our wesbite.

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