WITH headlines such as 鈥淛obless Total Climbs to 2.4 Million鈥� and 鈥淩ecession Forces a Million to Work Part-Time鈥� hitting the papers in the first half of 2009, you could be forgiven for thinking that the state of the job market was dire. But do such doom-laden stories provide the whole picture? Not according to those working within many scientific sectors which, thankfully, are now showing tentative signs of improvement, even if they are not, as yet, fully recovered.
According to the from the , the median average wage in the UK last year stood at 拢20,801, with anyone earning above 拢31,759 finding themselves in the top 25 per cent of the country. With the exception of laboratory work, forensics, chemistry and analytical chemistry, salary data collated by online recruitment firm suggests that most science sectors allow individuals to earn enough to place them within this top quartile (see 鈥淗ow much are you worth?鈥�).
鈥淢ost science sectors allow individuals to earn enough to place them within the top 25 per cent in the country鈥�
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Graduates in the IT sector are doing well, with starting salaries above the national average, and will continue to be well paid throughout their career. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing graduates on starting salaries of about 拢22,000 outside London, and about 拢30,000 in London in medium-to-large national and international companies,鈥� says Paul Keeler, industrial placement co-ordinator at the University of York. 鈥淭his of course varies across industries 鈥� defence is one of the industries that pays the best. Our placement students, who take a year in industry as part of their degree, generally receive about three-quarters of the salary of a graduate going straight into employment.鈥�
Within the engineering and environmental sectors, however, experiences over the past year have been mixed. While the automotive industry has suffered wage and working hour reductions in order to prevent redundancies, the sheer amount of work required to meet carbon-emission targets through clean energy generation means that, in many areas, recruitment is continuing and salaries are rising.
Finally, despite funding cuts for most areas of research, major projects continue. For example, the University of Nottingham was recently awarded a part-share of 拢6.9 million to from E.ON and the .
The picture is mixed, but if you choose wisely when making decisions about your career, your bank balance can still benefit. We鈥檝e looked into three areas of particular significance in 2009 鈥� IT and technology, the environment, and engineering 鈥� to find out just how much you could earn.
Focus on: Engineering
In terms of salary, the engineering sector fares well (see graph). The highest salaries are to be found in civil engineering, railway and the oil industry, and according to recruitment agency Hays鈥檚 annual salary survey, average salaries range from 拢33,000 for mechanical engineers to 拢46,200 for infrastructure and consulting positions.
However, the sector hasn鈥檛 completely escaped the recession. Though companies seem to have maintained levels of permanent recruitment, there has been a 23 per cent decrease in contract staff.
There is light on the horizon, though. With large projects in the pipeline, including a number of and growth in the nuclear industry, higher demand for staff, and therefore higher wages, are set to return.
While some areas have felt the pinch, skills shortages have ensured that not all salaries have dropped. In exceptional circumstances, some have actually increased, for example in defence and nuclear engineering.
The energy sector is one such area, as it continues to attract funding and provide many research opportunities. The (JET), the world鈥檚 largest nuclear fusion research facility, is a case in point. 鈥淎s well as European Union money coming into the UK for the JET project, funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is being used to support the international collaboration 鈥業TER鈥�, which will become a huge sink for clever engineers,鈥� says David Martin, manager of the engineering department for the UK鈥檚 Atomic Energy Authority.
鈥淐ompanies are taking advantage of the change in demand to secure good candidates for less,鈥� says Martin. 鈥淗owever, there will be a gradual return to normal as the market improves. Already candidates are starting to negotiate more firmly to try to obtain a better salary.鈥�
鈥�拢36,000 Engineer 2 years鈥� experience (lieutenant) Royal Navy鈥�
鈥溌�26,000 Science teacher Newly qualified Comprehensive secondary school, inner London鈥�
鈥溌�55,000 Power systems engineer 7 years鈥� experience National Grid鈥�
鈥溌�25,000 Medical writer 1 year鈥檚 experience Pharmaceutical consultancy agency鈥�
鈥溌�33,500 Lecturer Post-grad entry Manchester Met University鈥�
Focus on: The environment
In the environment sector, fortunes are split. According to the Carbon Trust鈥檚 , the highest percentage of climate change organisations were based in the UK (28 per cent), edging out the whole of North America. Unsurprisingly, it is this section of the environmental market that is currently faring best 鈥� with an average salary of 拢37,348 for climate change and greenhouse gas management.
鈥淪alaries for the industry have been rising over the past few years in line with the growth of the industry itself,鈥� says Iseult Smyth, human resources manager at green-energy company .
Much work is driven by the need to manage legislation: when salary by organisation type is taken into account, positions connected to law firms are well ahead of other areas (see graph). Meanwhile, by job function, another regulation-related role also heads the salary field 鈥� environmental due diligence.
As the property market collapsed, however, related jobs have taken a knock. 鈥淢arkets linked to property development such as land contamination and remediation are suffering,鈥� says Andrew Cartland, managing director at Acre, a recruitment company focused on the environmental, social responsibility and climate change sectors. 鈥淗owever, the areas of climate change and energy are very stable, as they are being driven by legislation. While salaries for the environmental field have not seen much of an annual increase, climate change roles have seen a rise as a lot more senior positions are being created.鈥�
One anomaly uncovered in the sector by the Ends Directory鈥檚 2009 report was the difference in pay by gender, at almost double the UK average: by the age of 50, women are paid just over two thirds of that earned by males of the same age. This may reflect a career break for some, but women would still do well to compare their wages with their male counterparts.
According to the same report, if you want to stand out, be advised to brush up on your waste and energy management knowledge as these are the top two skills in demand by today鈥檚 employers, (see 鈥淗ave you got the skills?鈥�)
A mixed bag, perhaps, but with climate change high on government agendas around the world, a scientist with the expertise needed will be in a good position to ensure continued monetary rewards far into the future.
鈥�拢55,192 Climate change consultant 4 to 6 years鈥� experience Carbon Trust鈥�
Focus on: IT and technology
Although the number of positions available within the IT sector dwindled earlier in the year as uncertainty about the economy caused some recruitment to be put on hold, 鈥渢he situation is now much brighter鈥�, says James Parker, associate director of IT at recruitment consultancy Robert Walters. 鈥淧eople are starting new projects and at the junior end of the market we are seeing more churn 鈥� people are less afraid to move around.鈥�
We鈥檝e used IT recruitment agency Reed Technology鈥檚 to map average salaries on offer for a sample of jobs across all UK regions (see map and graphs). Happily for those of you outside London, although the capital still attracts premium wages at senior level, in most roles there is not a huge gulf between paychecks for London and other regions.
However, a slump in the number of permanent positions available has caused contract salaries to suffer. With more people now chasing contract work, 鈥渞ates for contract staff are down 5 to 15 per cent on 2008鈥�, says Simon Churan, managing director of IT recruitment consultancy Certes. Despite this, he is optimistic that the worst is over: 鈥淓verything is stabilising now and rates will recover.鈥�
Within academia, research positions are still cropping up, although funding is not as readily available as it once was. 鈥淒espite funding constraints, we remain positive about opportunities for research positions in computer science at Southampton,鈥� says Nick Jennings of the at the University of Southampton. 鈥淲e are continuing to offer new research positions. This accompanies large increases in the number of PhD opportunities as a result of our two new in web science and complex systems simulation.鈥� He adds that funding cuts have not translated into pay cuts, even if competition is fierce. 鈥淪alary levels have not dropped and interest from candidates remains high,鈥� he says.
The lesson here is clear: if you get the skills necessary to stand out from the crowd, you can profit from the best salaries on offer.
鈥�拢29,000 Research fellow 3 years鈥� experience University of Southampton鈥�
鈥�拢23,000 Graduate trainee Degree entry Yorkshire Water鈥�