Young YouTubers expect to earn twice as much as investment bankers in first year of work
Students who plan to make social media their career expect to make twice as much as aspiring bankers in their first year of work.
Young people eager to become well-known YouTubers are confident of earning £55,000 in their first year on the job, according to a survey of students by discount site UNiDAYS.
In contrast, those who want to go into investment banking expect to earn just £26,400 in their first year, even though the average starting salary for this career path is between £30,000 and £40,000 according to graduate information source Prospects.
Aspiring lawyers and engineers had similarly subdued expectations, while the lowest starting salary expectation was in the retail industry where students expect a graduate salary of £18,970.
Graduate salary expectations by career
Rank
Career
Starting Salary Expectations
1
YouTuber
£55,000
2
Chemicals and pharmacy
£32,183
3
Oil and Energy
£29,000
4
Influencer
£28,700
5
Marketing and PR
£27,650
6
Engineer
£26,600
7
Law
£26,550
8
Banking
£26,500
9
Investment Banker
£26,400
10
Medicine
£25,900
11
Consulting
£25,100
12
IT and Telecommunications
£24,200
13
Accountancy
£23,600
14
Transport
£23,600
15
Technology
£22,700
16
HR
£22,260
17
Armed Forces
£22,100
18
Construction
£22,000
19
Journalism and Media
£21,850
20
Teaching/Academia
£21,240
21
Civil Service
£21,200
22
Charity
£20,600
23
Property/Estate Agent
£20,000
24
Retail
£18,970
Overall, respondents overestimated their future earnings. The average estimated graduate salary was £25,150, compared to the actual average of between £19,000 and £22,000.
Mai Fenton, vice president of marketing at UNiDAYS said: “The alluring lives of YouTubers and Influencers are constantly on display on social media, so it’s no surprise that students who want to follow that career path have higher salary expectations than those seeking traditionally high-paying roles that require years of rigorous study.”
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