Graduates will be in a position to command an average salary of £21,997 this summer, with a quarter actually starting above the national average of £25,000.
The January figures from the Graduate Market Trends report by Graduate Prospects reveals that salaries will range between £13,242 to £36,000.
In further good news for students, the findings show that three quarters of all vacancies (75.8%) will be open to graduates from any degree discipline.
Where specific degrees are required, disciplines most in demand are engineering and technology (8.5% of vacancies).
Management consultancy offers the highest mean salary at £34,724, followed by the oil, mining and extractive industries at £26,474.
Management consultancy also has the highest number of vacancies (9.9%), followed by banks and building societies (9.1%) and civil service and local government (7.7%).
The three positions offering the highest salary were in banking and retail management positions, while the lowest were offered in the voluntary and hospitality sectors.
Graduates in the Capital can expect the highest mean salary of all regions at £26,591. London also has the highest share of graduate vacancies, one in seven or 13.9% are based in the Capital with finance, insurance, pensions and actuarial work making up the majority of positions advertised.
The South East still has the second highest number of vacancies though the number advertised is just 4.3%.
Vacancies in IT have increased by over a third from a year ago and the mean salary, £24,711, is one of the highest.
Interestingly, one in five vacancies (19.3%) are actually for posts overseas, the majority of which (74%) tend to be for jobs teaching English.
Mike Hill, chief executive of Graduate Prospects, said:
“It’s great to see graduates being rewarded for their skill-set. The report really underlines the value of a degree to those entering the job market. However, the high salaries also point towards a very competitive market place but today’s graduates are more industrious than ever, using work experience and time abroad to bolster their employability.”
