22nd Aug 2016

Business and IT see increases in CAO offers and starting salaries

A record high of 52,289 offers were made by the CAO today, with points for many hi-tech, business and construction-related courses jumping this year. Along with a rise in CAO offers, the starting salaries of IT and business graduates is on the rise.

Overall, computer science/information and communications technology (ICT) honours bachelor degree graduates were the highest earners, with 62 per cent earning €29,000 or over. These findings are contained in a survey of graduates of Irish universities and colleges of education in 2014 nine months after graduation, published by the Higher Education Authority on May 3 of this year.

Another survey has found that Business students expect to earn, on average, a gross salary of €28,955 in their first job, while the expectation is slightly higher for those studying engineering or IT at €33,905. This survey was conducted by global research and advisory firm Universum.