EdUHK Survey: Starting Salary for Education Majors Surpasses HK$25,000
EdUHK Survey: Starting Salary for Education Majors Surpasses HK$25,000
According to the findings of the 2017 Graduate Employment Survey (GES) conducted by The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), its graduates remain consistently competitive, with the average monthly salary for graduates of its Bachelor of Education programmes reaching HK$25,175 – a record high – representing a 2.4% year-on-year increase.
Of the 583 Bachelor of Education graduates surveyed, 98.3% were employed or had chosen to further their studies within three months of graduation. A similarly high percentage applied to the 149 graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma of Education (PGDE), with 98.6% employed or having opted for further studies. Their average starting monthly salary stood at HK$25,091.
The Student Affairs Office conducts the GES from October to December each year to assess the employment status of EdUHK’s full-time graduates. A total of 732 new graduates from the full-time Bachelor of Education programmes and the PGDE participated in the 2017 survey.
EdUHK Dean of Students Dr Yu Kar-ming said, “Our graduates are well sought-after in the market. The GES results reflect a consistent pattern of their encouraging and positive employment situation in the past decade.
“With professional knowledge and competitive advantages in terms of whole person development, pedagogy and field experience, I have every confidence that EdUHK graduates will continue to be the major force fuelling the education sector,” continued Dr Yu.
| Bachelor of Education programmes | Postgraduate Diploma of Education (PGDE) | |||
| Employed or further studies | Mean monthly salary (HK$) | Employed or further studies | Mean monthly salary (HK$) | |
| 2017 | 98.3% | $25,175 | 98.6% | $25,091 |
| 2016 | 98.0% | $24,586 | 97.1% | $25,202 |
| 2015 | 97.5% | $23,059 | 97.1% | $23,342 |
| 2014 | 98.6% | $21,598 | 100.0% | $22,901 |
| 2013 | 98.4% | $20,230 | 97.7% | $20,507 |
| 2012 | 97.9% | $19,658 | 95.1% | $19,885 |
| 2011 | 98.4% | $19,535 | 98.7% | $20,600 |
| 2010 | 98.3% | $18,202 | 97.6% | $18,675 |
| 2009 | 99.2% | $17,829 | 97.0% | $18,014 |
| 2008 | 99.3% | $19,791 | 97.1% | $18,540 |
To better prepare its graduates to become professional educators, EdUHK strongly encourages its students to go overseas to get another learning perspective, broaden their horizons and become more globally aware, which will benefit their future career development.Dr Yu was pleased to note that the Government’s additional education funding had resulted in over 2,300 permanent teaching posts. Another positive development was the implementation of the Free Quality Kindergarten Education Scheme, which has boosted the salary level of early childhood education practitioners.
EdUHK Associate Vice President (Academic Affairs) and Registrar Professor May Cheng May-hung said, “EdUHK set up the International and Regional Learning Enhancement Fund to provide financial support for students to go overseas at least once during their studies at the University. These overseas programmes include an immersion programme for language majors; a service learning and internship programme; a student exchange programme; and a variety of short-term overseas programmes.”
The GES also collected data from 200 graduates of EdUHK programmes that are complementary to Education, including the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Language Studies, the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Global and Environmental Studies, the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Creative Arts and Culture, and the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology.
The survey found that 96.5% of these graduates had successfully secured employment or were pursuing further studies, with an average starting salary of HK$14,358. The fields in which they were engaged include education, business services, creative arts or design, community and social services, media and publication, and government and public organisations, among others.
Appendix I: Findings of 2017 Graduate Employment Survey
Appendix II: Bios of EdUHK graduates and students (Chinese only)
