What do science graduates do?

Nathan Olsen, employment engagement officer at Queen Mary University of London, sets out the latest findings on outcomes for graduates from science subjects

Science graduates are employed in a wide range of sectors focused on developing solutions to critical issues such as the climate crisis and health inequality. Many of these sectors offer graduates the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the world, as well as significant financial compensation and job security - all factors important to graduates when considering their position in the labour market.

Employment and further study

Physical and geographical sciences graduates had the highest levels of full-time employment (59%), ahead of chemistry (55%) as well as physics and sports science (both around 51%). Biology had the lowest level of full-time employment at 48%.

On average, around 17% of physics, biology and chemistry graduates went into further study, which is a continued drop off from previous years. Of those pursuing further study, roughly 50% of chemistry and physics graduates chose to pursue a PhD, whereas around 48% of biology and sports science graduates chose to enrol in a Masters degree.

Full-time further study was lowest among sports science graduates at 9%, although graduates of this subject did have the highest levels of further study while working (14%), which is not uncommon in fields such as sports physiotherapy or sports psychology.

Unemployment for all science graduates remained low despite increasing from the previous years' data, ranging from a maximum of 9% for biology graduates through to just 4% for sports science graduates.

Salaries

Physics graduates without any significant further study earned the highest salaries for science graduates (£32,609 for females and £32,208 for males), followed by chemistry graduates (£28,826 for females and £28,893 for males). Sports science graduates without further study qualifications had the lowest average starting salary of the science subjects (£24,386 for females and £25,143 for males). Physical and geographical sciences graduates and biology graduates earned a similar figure 15 months after graduation, ranging from £25,325 to £26,933 for those without significant further study.

Of those graduates who had not pursued further study, males earned on average slightly more than females. Among those who did complete further study, females earned more.

Destinations

Roles in IT and telecommunications continue to be the top destination for physics graduates, with 20% of them entering into this industry. Another 16% of physics graduates went into manufacturing, and 13% went into the construction, engineering and research and development industry - which were also a popular set of industries for those who studied physical and geographical sciences (25%).

Chemistry graduates had the highest percentage going into science-based occupations at 35%, and significantly more chemistry graduates (29%) went into manufacturing than graduates from other science backgrounds. This demonstrates the value of a chemistry degree when going into technical roles within industry.

Biology graduates also had a relatively high percentage (21%) going into scientific roles. This is likely to reflect the strength of the life sciences sector in the UK, which includes world-leading research facilities for drug discovery and clinical trials.

Around 9% to 15% of biology, chemistry, physics, and physical and geographical sciences graduates entered the education/teaching sector, but this increased to 30% for sports science graduates. This is perhaps unsurprising as many sports science graduates actively seek roles in physical education.

This article was first published in the 2024/25 edition of What do graduates do?

Written by

Nathan Olsen

Employment engagement officer

Queen Mary University of London