Poly Grads Earning More Than Peers

09 Jan 2012

Polytechnic graduates continue to enjoy strong job prospects and are earning higher salaries, according to a recent survey.

It found that the 2011 cohort earned slightly more than their peers a year ago.

The latest graduate employment survey - conducted by the five polytechnics between October and November 2011 - attracted 13,386 respondents.

It found that fresh graduates in full-time jobs - or those who completed their studies in 2011 and were not liable for national service - earned a median gross monthly salary of S$1,850.

That's up S$50, or 2.8 per cent, from 2010.

Those who commanded higher salaries studied Health Sciences and Built Environment, as well as Engineering & Maritime.

They earned S$1,900 a month.

The employment rate as of October among fresh graduates reached 92.1 per cent, up marginally from 91.5 per cent in 2010.

Salaries also rose for post-national service graduates - defined as those who graduated in 2008 and completed their NS between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011.

They earned a median gross monthly salary of S$2,100, up from S$2,000 in 2010.

The overall employment rate was 94.7 per cent, down slightly from 95.4 per cent the year before.

Among post-NS graduates, those from Business, Management, Design & Others commanded higher salaries at S$2,150 a month.