pay rises are falling. They are now running at under 3 per cent and,
with maximum increases in the public sector set at 1.5 per cent, many companies
have announced that their employees will not receive a rise at all. So
far, however, scientists and engineers appear to have fared better than
many other groups because there is still a small, unfulfilled demand for
technically qualified graduates.
The Association of Graduate Recruiters surveyed 304 companies recently
and found that the average salary paid to newly qualified graduates last
autumn was 拢12 800 a year (up just 2.4 per cent on the previous
year). But for scientists and engineers, the average was 拢13 500,
with the actual figures ranging from below 拢10 000 a year to more
than 拢17 000.
The highest starting salaries are paid by the chemicals, oil, pharmaceuticals
and allied industries ( 拢14 000) followed by transport and telecommunications
( 拢13 800), energy and water ( 拢13 500) and other manufacturing
( 拢13 400). ‘Graduates with technical skills and sponsored students
are more likely to attract the highest salaries in the industrial sector,’
says Roly Cockman, secretary of the AGR.
A survey by Remuneration Economics in association with the Engineering
Council found that engineers’ pay has risen by 2.4 per cent more than average
earnings, and 7.2 per cent more than the Retail Price Index during the
past three years. Average salaries of 25 to 29-year-old chartered engineers
are 拢21 500. This compares favourably with graduates in other disciplines
recruited three years ago, who are now earning an average of 拢16
820.
The Central Services Unit for Careers Advisory…
