Australian Jobs 2021
Education Employment Outcomes
VET graduate employment outcomes1

A person has improved their employment status if they were not employed before but employed after, or employed at a higher skill level after training, or received at least one job-related benefit, such as a promotion (or increased status at work), gained extra skills for my job, or an increase in earnings.
What apprenticeships or traineeships are considered to be trades?
here is a wide range of occupations regarded as trades. Some examples are Bricklayers, Hairdressers, General Motor Mechanics, Electricians, Telecommunications Trade Workers, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, Locksmiths, Cabinetmakers and Chefs.
VET graduates with improved employment status after training, by field of education, 2020 (%)
Do VET graduates have high earnings?
Workers who hold a VET qualification at the certificate III or higher level generally earn more than those who have not studied after leaving school (see page 44). In 2020, the median annual income for VET Graduates, at the certificate II level or higher, working full-time after completing their training was $60,000. The highest median salaries were for those who studied
- Education ($78,300)
- Engineering and related technologies ($62,600)
- Management and commerce ($61,500)
VET employment outcomes after graduation, 2020*
Improved employment status after training (%) | Median annual income | |
Diploma or higher | 63.5 | $67,100 |
Certificate IV | 64.5 | $73,400 |
Certificate III | 58.5 | $52,200 |
Certificate II | 42.8 | $44,400 |
*Income figures are for those employed full-time, and are only available for graduates at certificate II and higher level.
Higher education graduate employment outcomes
COVID-19 has had a major impact on the Australian labour market, including graduate employment outcomes. As could be expected, graduate employment rates have declined between 2019 and 2020. The full-time undergraduate employment rate fell from 72.2% to 68.7%, the second lowest result since the 68.1% reported in 2014.
Vocationally oriented study areas (such as Pharmacy, Rehabilitation, Medicine, Engineering and Dentistry) generally have stronger employment outcomes immediately after graduation. Graduates with more generalist degrees (such as Creative arts and Communications) have weaker employment outcomes immediately after graduation, but they do improve significantly over time.
Higher Education Graduate Series
In 2020, the median annual full-time starting salary for an undergraduate was $64,700.
Postgraduate coursework graduates had a median starting salary of $87,400 and for postgraduate research graduates it was $93,000.
- Dentistry (median of $84,400)
- Medicine ($75,000)
- Social Work ($70,000)
- Teacher education ($70,000)
Bachelor degree graduates employed four months after graduation, selected fields of education, 2020 (%)*
Sources: NCVER, VET Student Outcomes; ABS, Characteristics of Employment; QILT, Graduate Outcomes Survey.
Higher education graduate salaries
In 2020, the median annual full-time starting salary for an undergraduate was $64,700.
Postgraduate coursework graduates had a median starting salary of $87,400 and for postgraduate research graduates it was $93,000.
• Dentistry (median of $84,400)
• Medicine ($75,000)
• Social Work ($70,000)
• Teacher education ($70,000)