-- Korn Ferry Study Based on Analysis of 25 Job Titles in 15 Countries
-- U.S. and Germany Top the List of Highest-Paid Grads –
-- Mexico and Russian Federation at Bottom --

Editor’s Note: Infographic Available

LOS ANGELES, July 6, 2017 — A new analysis of entry-level professional salaries by the Korn Ferry division of Korn Ferry (NYSE:KFY), the preeminent global people and organizational advisory firm, reveals the countries and careers with the highest and lowest salaries for new university graduates around the globe.

The study analyzed salaries for 5.6 million entry-level positions at 20,000 companies. The analysis focused on 25 entry-level professional job titles in 15 countries. It shows that based on the countries and career titles included, The United States offers the highest average new graduate salary at $49,785 annually.

Following are the top five average graduate salaries from the list of 15 analyzed countries: (All salaries are in U.S. dollars for consistency. Currency fluctuations have not been factored in.)

United States   $49,785
Germany   $49,635
Australia   $48,987
Netherlands   $43,515
France   $35,424

At $9,600, the Russian Federation had the lowest average salary of any country in the survey.

Following are the lowest average graduate salaries from the countries included in the list:

Czech Republic   $12,866
Brazil   $12,806
China   $11,887
Mexico   $11,241
Russian Federation   $9,600

“It’s important to note that many factors go into determining salaries, including the local cost of living and the supply and demand for particular skill sets in specific places,” said Bob Wesselkamper, Korn Ferry Global Head of Rewards and Benefits Solutions. “However, graduates who choose certain career paths where talent is in high demand, like engineering or technology, can expect to make more than their peers, regardless of the country in which they reside.”

At, $31,545, the United Kingdom dropped to the seventh-highest paid nation for college grads, from fifth-place in 2016. Although salaries in local currency (pounds sterling) were flat year on year, when converted into US dollars they fell by 21 percent – reflecting the fall in the value of sterling after last year’s Brexit vote.

STEM Careers Still Highest Paid

The study showed that in every nation analyzed, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers were among the highest paid of the surveyed careers. For example, an entry-level engineer in the United States can expect to make 19 percent above the U.S. national average at $59,213, and an entry-level software developer in Australia can make 14 percent above that country’s national average at $56,079.

“Exposing young people to several different types of career paths early on will help them decide on careers that are both personally fulfilling and economically viable,” said Troy Steece, a Korn Ferry project manager specializing in early career recruiting.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is the preeminent global people and organizational advisory firm. We help leaders, organizations, and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through our Executive Search, Korn Ferry and Korn Ferry divisions.