Highest Paying Degrees in the UK: The Subjects That Lead to the Best-Paid Careers

Which UK degree subjects lead to the best-paid careers, from medicine and dentistry to economics, maths, computer science, engineering and law, with honest caveats and degree apprenticeship alternatives.

By Tony Musso on Fri Oct 16 2026

The highest paying degrees in the UK are the ones that lead into well-paid professions: medicine and dentistry, economics, maths and statistics, computer science, law and engineering. These subjects open doors to careers such as doctor, investment banker, actuary, machine learning engineer and solicitor, where TonyKnows career data shows mid-career pay well above the UK average and senior pay that can reach six figures.

But a degree does not pay you. A job does. Two people with the same degree can earn very different amounts depending on the career they choose, where they work and how they progress. This guide explains which degree subjects tend to lead to the best-paid careers, what those careers pay, and the other routes, including degree apprenticeships, that can get you to the same place.

How we judged the highest paying degrees

There is no single official list. Government data that links graduates' tax records to their courses, known as Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data, consistently shows subjects such as medicine and dentistry, economics and maths near the top for graduate earnings, with wide variation within every subject and between universities.

Rather than quoting graduate averages, we have looked at each subject through the careers it most often leads to, using UK pay from TonyKnows career data. That gives you a practical picture: if you study this, these are the well-paid jobs it can open, and this is what they pay.

The highest paying degrees at a glance

The 10 highest paying degree subjects

1. Medicine and dentistry

Medicine is the clearest example of a degree that leads straight into a well-paid profession. TonyKnows career data shows doctors starting at around £36,000 to £45,000 as first-year resident doctors, rising to around £70,000 to £100,000 mid-career and around £100,000 to £150,000 or more as a GP partner. Surgeons can reach around £100,000 to £200,000 or more as consultants with private work.

The route is long. A medical degree usually takes five or six years, or four on a graduate-entry course, followed by the two-year Foundation Programme and then specialty training. Our resident doctor salary guide explains how pay rises through training.

Dentistry follows a similar pattern: a five-year dental degree, then a year of foundation training for NHS work. Many dentists are self-employed or own practices, so earnings vary widely depending on the mix of NHS and private work.

2. Economics

Economics is one of the most common degrees in investment banking, consulting and corporate finance. Investment bankers earn around £55,000 to £75,000 plus bonus as analysts and around £100,000 to £200,000 plus bonus mid-career, according to TonyKnows career data. Corporate finance analysts earn around £75,000 to £110,000 mid-career, and management consultants around £60,000 to £90,000.

These employers recruit from many subjects, but economics gives you a strong grounding in markets, data and how businesses make decisions. See our investment banker salary guide for how banking pay and bonuses work.

3. Maths and statistics

Maths is a favourite of employers who need people to model risk and work with data. Actuaries earn around £60,000 to £90,000 mid-career and around £110,000 to £200,000 or more at senior level. Data scientists earn around £60,000 to £95,000 mid-career. Maths graduates also move into risk, trading, software and teaching. If statistics appeals, read how to become a statistician.

4. Computer science

Computer science leads into some of the best-paid technical work in the UK. Machine learning engineers earn around £80,000 to £130,000 mid-career and around £140,000 to £220,000 or more at senior level. AI engineers earn around £75,000 to £120,000 mid-career, and software engineers around £50,000 to £75,000.

Tech is also one of the few high-paying fields where a strong portfolio can sometimes replace a degree, so the degree is valuable but not the only way in.

5. Law

A law degree is the traditional route to the Bar and a common route to becoming a solicitor. Solicitors earn around £60,000 to £100,000 mid-career and around £120,000 to £300,000 or more as partners at top firms. Barristers earn around £60,000 to £150,000 mid-career, with senior pay that can reach £1,000,000 or more for the most successful.

Pay in law varies hugely by firm and area of practice. You also do not need a law degree to become a solicitor: since the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) was introduced, graduates of any subject can qualify, and solicitor apprenticeships offer a non-degree route.

6. Engineering

Engineering degrees lead to steady, well-paid careers, with pay rising well after chartership. Civil engineers earn around £42,000 to £60,000 mid-career and around £70,000 to £110,000 or more at senior level. Software-based engineering and offshore roles pay more. Our ranking of high paying engineering careers compares 14 engineering jobs.

7. Physics and physical sciences

Physics, chemistry and other physical sciences teach problem solving and maths that many high-paying employers value. One less obvious option is becoming a patent attorney, which needs a STEM degree and pays around £70,000 to £110,000 mid-career and around £130,000 to £250,000 or more at senior level. Physics graduates also move into data science, finance, energy and engineering.

8. Accounting and finance

An accounting and finance degree can bring exemptions from some professional exams and leads directly into accountancy, audit and financial analysis. TonyKnows career data shows accountants earning around £45,000 to £70,000 once qualified and around £90,000 to £200,000 or more at partner or CFO level. That said, accountancy firms take graduates from any subject, so this degree is helpful rather than essential.

9. Veterinary science

Vets start at around £32,000 to £40,000 and earn around £45,000 to £65,000 mid-career, rising to around £70,000 to £120,000 or more as a specialist or practice owner. Veterinary degrees take five or six years and places are limited. See our vet salary guide.

10. Pharmacy

Pharmacists start at around £35,000 to £45,000, which is high for a new graduate, and earn around £45,000 to £60,000 mid-career. The MPharm degree plus foundation training takes around five years. Pay rises more slowly than in some careers above, but demand is steady and jobs are found across the UK.

Degrees where the career matters more than the subject

Many of the best-paid graduate employers do not mind what you studied. Investment banks, consultancies, the Big Four accountancy firms, the Civil Service Fast Stream and many law firms recruit from all degree subjects. For those careers, your grades, work experience, internships and how well you do in assessments count for more than the name of your degree.

That is why a history or English graduate can end up out-earning an engineering graduate. Our guide to why your degree doesn't have to define your career covers this in more depth.

Honest caveats

• Pay depends on the job, not just the degree. A maths graduate who becomes an actuary will usually earn more than one who takes a lower-paid role, even with the same degree.
• Location matters. Many of the highest-paying finance and law jobs are in London, where costs are higher too.
• The long routes take years. Medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and law involve long training before the highest pay arrives.
• Averages hide a wide spread. Every subject includes graduates on modest pay and graduates on very high pay.
• Enjoyment counts. You are more likely to do well in a subject, and a career, that you find interesting.

Degree apprenticeships: another route to the same careers

If you want a well-paid career without student loan debt for tuition, a degree apprenticeship is worth considering. You work for an employer, earn a salary and study for a degree, with tuition paid by your employer and apprenticeship funding. Degree apprenticeships are offered in software engineering, data science, engineering, accountancy, law, surveying and more.

Some lead to exactly the same professional qualifications as the graduate route, such as the ACA or ACCA in accountancy or qualifying as a solicitor. Our guides to the best-paid degree apprenticeships in finance and law and high-paying UK roles you can get without a university degree explain the options.

How to choose a degree with pay in mind

1. Start with careers, not subjects. Pick two or three careers that interest you, then check which degrees and routes they need.
2. Check the entry requirements. Medicine, dentistry, vet science and pharmacy need specific A level subjects, usually including chemistry.
3. Compare the time to qualify. A higher salary that takes ten years to reach may suit you less than a good salary in three.
4. Look at degree apprenticeships too. They can get you into the same careers with experience and no tuition debt.
5. Test your fit. A career that matches your strengths is easier to stick with and progress in.

You can compare pay across hundreds of jobs with UK salaries by career.

Find careers that match you Career Compass matches your strengths and interests to well-paid careers, so you can choose a degree or apprenticeship with a clear goal in mind.

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If you are weighing up options, our guide to choosing a career test explains what a good one tells you and what it cannot.