Tertiary Performance, Field of Study and Graduate Starting Salaries

Grace Chia and Paul Miller
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Grace Chia: UWA Business School, The University of Western Australia

No 07-12, Economics Discussion / Working Papers from The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper analyses data from the University of Western Australia (UWA) Graduate Destination Survey linked to information from the University’s Student Records System to explore the determinants of graduates’ starting salaries over the years 2002 to 2004. While the details examined also include age, gender, language spoken at home, country of birth, disability status and high school attended, most emphasis is placed on the impact on starting salaries of students’ academic performance and their field of study. The analyses show that the main determinant of graduates’ starting salaries is the weighted average mark they achieve at university. The salary differentials associated with higher marks in the Australian labour market appear greater than those reported in similar studies of the United States and United Kingdom labour markets. Science graduates are shown to have relatively low starting salaries, casting a shadow over recent suggestions that the supply of this group be increased through lower fee regimes.

Keywords: Starting Salaries; Ability; Field of Study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J30 J31 J40 J44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 27 pages
Date: 2007
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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https://www.business.uwa.edu.au/school/disciplines/economics/?a=37046 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwa:wpaper:07-12

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