Graduate Salary Expectation Calculator

The UK average graduate starting salary in 2026 is approximately £28,000–£32,000. This varies significantly: Medicine/Law/Finance graduates average £40,000+, while Arts/Social Science graduates typically start at £24,000–£27,000.

Plan 2 (2012–2023 starters): repayments begin when you earn over £27,295/year. Plan 5 (2023+ starters): threshold is £25,000. You repay 9% of earnings above the threshold, deducted via PAYE.

Most Plan 2 graduates (starting salary ~£28,000) will never fully repay — loans are written off after 30 years. Plan 5 loans are written off after 40 years. The 'debt' functions more like a graduate tax.

On £28,000 with Plan 2 student loan: income tax ~£3,086, NI ~£1,234, student loan ~£63/month = monthly take-home of approximately £1,965.

Medicine/Dentistry (£38,000+), Law (£35,000+), Computer Science (£33,000+), Engineering (£32,000+), Finance/Accounting (£30,000+) typically command the highest graduate starting salaries.

Significantly. London graduate salaries are 20–30% higher than regional averages, but higher living costs often offset this. Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol offer strong graduate salaries with lower costs.

Formal graduate schemes at large employers typically pay £28,000–£35,000 plus annual reviews. Big 4 accountancy (£31,000), investment banking (£50,000+), and civil service Fast Stream (£32,500) are examples.

Employers must contribute at least 3% (statutory minimum) but many offer 5–8%. This doesn't affect take-home pay but adds significant long-term value — start contributing from day one for maximum compounding.

Yes, especially at smaller companies. For graduate schemes with fixed salaries, negotiate benefits instead — extra holidays, training budgets, or earlier salary reviews. Research role-specific benchmarks on Glassdoor.

Most graduates start with tax code 1257L (standard for 2026/27), giving the standard personal allowance of £12,570. Check your payslip — emergency codes (0T, M1/W1) may mean you're overpaying tax initially.

Employee NI is 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270. On a £28,000 salary, NI costs about £1,234/year or £103/month — worth knowing when negotiating salary.

For the first 2–3 years, experience and skills development often outweigh marginal salary differences. The salary difference between graduates at year 5 who chose high-growth roles over high-starting-pay roles is typically significant.