Pay expectations for female graduates lags male counterparts, new survey shows

Female graduates expect to earn more than 10 per cent less than male counterparts, new research has found, with the expectations of a potential gender pay gap showing signs of widening.

The study, from IrishJobs subsidiary Universum, found female students expect to earn €35,891 in their first full-time position after they graduate, approximately 11 per cent less than the €40,441 that male students anticipate earning.

The figures, which were part of the Most Attractive Employers Index 2023, represent the first increase in the gender pay gap in three years.

The index, which questioned more than 8,000 students in a range of fields from business and economics to humanities and medicine, is intended to provide a snapshot of key attributes students are seeking in their future employer.

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But there were variations across different sectors of the economy, with no significant difference in pay expectations in the engineering sector, while IT and business and economics showed a 9 per cent and 7 per cent gap respectively.

Students displayed different priorities according to gender, with female students prizing job security and a friendly work environment, and male students citing high future earnings and a competitive base salary as their top career preferences. Three quarters of all graduated were interested in remote working opportunities, up 4 per cent on 2022 figures.

Overall, graduated considered high future earnings and job security when examining their career prospects, the survey showed, with a friendly work environment, good work life balance and career advancement in the top five.

“The next generation of graduates is joining a strong jobs market, with the unemployment rate close to a historic low. In this context, it is unsurprising to see high earnings as the top preference for graduates once again. A rising cost of living indicates that the next generation of graduates are prioritising future financial income, while the tight labour market offers a constructive environment to achieve progress on this ambition,” said Steve Ward, UK and Ireland business director of Universum.

“Our findings showed clear differences between male and female graduates in career priorities, with male students prioritising financial compensation more than their female counterparts. Despite the rising cost of living, female graduates expect to earn 11 per cent less than male students. Clearly, more work needs to be undertaken by employers to address this issue and achieve greater pay parity.”