bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

William Yiu

The average annual salary of university graduates in Hong Kong jumped 4.8 per cent to HK$329,000 (US$42,180) last year, with social science degree holders performing the best among all disciplines in terms of pay increments.
Graduates of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) enjoyed the highest pay, with their average annual salary rising above HK$400,000 for the first time.
The University Grants Committee, a government advisory body that allocates funding for higher education institutions, on Wednesday uploaded the average salaries of graduates and postgraduates in 2024.
The average annual salary of graduates last year rose to HK$329,000, marking a 4.8 per cent increase from the class of 2023. Higher-paid graduates, such as those in medical disciplines, are included in the figures.
On a 12-month basis, the figures mean graduates earned HK$1,250 more per month on average in 2024 at HK$27,416 compared with a year ago.
Social science graduates enjoyed the highest annual increase at 9.1 per cent.
Medicine, dentistry and health graduates continued to be the highest-paid earners, at HK$540,000 on average last year or about HK$45,000 per month.
Those in education disciplines were the next best paid, although their salary shrank 3.5 per cent to HK$362,000 on average last year. The decline in the annual salary of education students was the largest among all disciplines.
Social science graduates in 2024 saw the biggest salary jump among all disciplines at 9 per cent, or HK$2,100. They became the third highest-paid group, taking home HK$300,000.
Their fortunes changed from 2023 when they ranked second from bottom.
Science graduates received around HK$292,000, a marginal 0.7 per cent increase from 2023.
Business and management graduates become the third lowest-earning group among all disciplines, earning 1.4 per cent less at HK$291,000 annually.
Engineering and technology graduates were the second-lowest earning group, making HK$288,000 annually, a 1.8 per cent year-on-year increase.
Graduates of arts and humanities continued to be the lowest earning group among all disciplines, at HK$269,000 annually, the same as in 2023.
For individual institutions, graduates of HKU, the city’s oldest university, continue to enjoy the highest salary.
The data showed HKU graduates enjoyed annual salaries at HK$401,000, the highest among all institutions, rising above the HK$400,000 level for the first time.
Graduates of the Chinese University of Hong Kong received around HK$381,000 annually. Graduates of the Education University of Hong Kong, who mainly become teachers, were the third-highest earners, securing around HK$348,000 annually.
The response rate of the graduate job survey stood at 88 per cent. The unemployment rate of the class of 2024 was 2.4 per cent, slightly higher than the 2 per cent from the previous year.
The rate of further studies remained largely steady at 16.8 per cent.
Those on government-funded taught postgraduate programmes earned 3 per cent more at around HK$481,000 last year from 2023.
For government-funded research postgraduate courses, students took home an extra 6.7 per cent in pay, at HK$443,000.


Hong Kong forest schools are embracing ‘risky play’ for children as young as 2

Chinese University of Hong Kong appoints veteran administrator as vice-president

Housing, scholarship concerns test Hong Kong’s non-local student admission scheme

Global exchange is key to Hong Kong’s education hub ambition

Education in Hong Kong

Graduate pay rises 4.8% in Hong Kong on average but who earns the most?

Graduates of the University of Hong Kong  were the biggest earners last year. Photo: Sam Tsang

36.53% of Hong Kong students get university, diploma spots under allocation system

According to the latest figures, 36.53 per cent of applicants were offered spots at local universities or on a subsidised diploma course under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System. Photo: Handout

Students will learn about their university offers on Wednesday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Hong Kong public universities agree to return more funding if asked

The University of Hong Kong at Pok Fu Lam. Photo: Dickson Lee

The Chinese University of Hong Kong campus in Sha Tin. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong public universities to seek more top-notch overseas students: minister

In 2024-25, the number of non-local students at the city’s public universities was 17,161, representing about 23 per cent of those studying at the institutions. Photo: Sam Tsang

Secretary for Education Christine Choi has said there is no time frame for increasing the proportion of non-local students at public universities. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology sent 15 offers to candidates who had been affected by the US’ recent tightened policy on international students. Photo: May Tse

News

Hong Kong

Education

Average annual salary of graduates last year rose to HK$329,000


Average annual salary of graduates last year rose to HK$329,000.


Universities in Hong Kong

Hong Kong economy

Jobs

Salaries

China

University Grants Committee

Graduate pay rises 4.8% in Hong Kong on average but who earns the most?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Average annual salary of graduates last year rose to HK$329,000

Average annual salary of graduates last year rose to HK$329,000