Most "Australia graduate salary" results online are scraped from Indeed or Glassdoor — generic job-posting averages that don't distinguish between domestic and international graduates, don't control for age or prior work experience, and often blend "graduate program" job titles with actual recent-graduate salary data. That's not useless information, but it isn't the number that matters for an international student weighing whether an Australian degree pays off.
The number that matters comes from the Australian government's own Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS), run annually by QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching) on behalf of the Department of Education. Since 2021, QILT has published a standalone International Report that breaks out international graduates' employment and salary outcomes separately from domestic graduates — and the gap between the two, along with a genuinely surprising pattern around postgraduate study, is the most useful thing in this entire dataset for anyone deciding whether to study in Australia.
The headline number, and why it's lower than domestic graduate salaries
In the 2024 GOS, the median salary for international undergraduates employed full-time in Australia was $68,000, compared to $75,000 for domestic graduates — a $7,000 gap. At the postgraduate coursework level, international graduates earned a median of $70,000, versus $100,000 for domestic graduates — a much larger $30,000 gap. Postgraduate research graduates (PhD-level) saw the smallest gap: $95,600 for international graduates versus $104,400 for domestic.
This isn't a story about international graduates being less qualified or less capable — QILT's own analysis points to a specific, identifiable cause, and understanding it changes how you should think about the value of a postgraduate degree in Australia specifically.
The pattern almost nobody mentions: postgraduate study barely moves the needle for international students
This is the single most useful, least-reported finding in the entire dataset. For domestic graduates, moving from a bachelor's degree to postgraduate coursework study is associated with a large salary jump — from $75,000 to $100,000, a $25,000 increase. For international graduates, the same step produces almost no increase at all — from $68,000 to $70,000, just $2,000.
QILT's own explanation is straightforward and well-documented in the data: domestic students who pursue postgraduate coursework study are typically older and already established in the workforce — they've worked for several years, then gone back for a master's degree, and their salary reflects that accumulated experience layered on top of the new qualification. International students follow a very different pattern: the data shows 75.9% of international postgraduate coursework graduates were aged 30 or under, compared to just 34.8% of domestic postgraduate coursework graduates — more than double the rate. The overwhelming majority of international students move directly from an undergraduate degree into a master's degree without first entering the workforce, so by the time they graduate with their postgraduate qualification, they have roughly the same level of practical work experience as someone who just finished a bachelor's degree — because, functionally, that's what they are.
What this means practically: if you're an international student considering a master's degree in Australia primarily as a strategy to boost your starting salary, the 2024 data doesn't support that as a reliable outcome. A master's degree may still be worth pursuing for other reasons — deeper subject expertise, eligibility for a longer 485 visa (3 years for Research Master's, versus 2 for coursework), or specific occupations that require it — but "it will significantly increase my salary the way it does for domestic graduates" is not a safe assumption based on this data.
Full-time employment rates: the gap that drives the salary gap
| Study level | International | Domestic | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 52.3% | 74.0% | 21.7 pp |
| Postgraduate coursework | 56.1% | 88.1% | 32.0 pp |
| Postgraduate research (PhD) | 77.5% | 82.8% | 5.3 pp |
The employment-rate gap is actually larger, proportionally, than the salary gap — and it's widest exactly where the salary gap is widest, at the postgraduate coursework level. The PhD-level gap is comparatively small, which tracks with PhD students generally being older, having spent years embedded in a specific research field, and often having a more direct pathway into research or specialized roles regardless of citizenship.
Salary and employment by field: where the picture is genuinely different
Field choice matters more for international graduates than the broad averages suggest — and the pattern doesn't always match conventional wisdom about which subjects are "safe" choices.
| Field (undergraduate) | Int'l full-time employment | Int'l median salary | Domestic median salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 88.7% | $83,300 | $86,800 |
| Pharmacy | 90.8% | $57,800 | $59,500 |
| Teacher education | 80.9% | $77,000 | $78,800 |
| Rehabilitation | 79.7% | $73,100 | $75,000 |
| Veterinary science | 81.4% | $72,500 | $70,000 |
| Nursing | 67.7% | $72,700 | $72,000 |
| Law and paralegal studies | 48.0% | $73,500 | $76,000 |
| Engineering | 55.9% | $70,000 | $80,000 |
| Health services and support | 52.0% | $68,900 | $74,900 |
| Social work | 54.3% | $71,400 | $82,000 |
| Science and mathematics | 41.8% | $67,000 | $72,400 |
| Computing and information systems | 43.5% | $63,400 | $75,300 |
| Architecture and built environment | 40.9% | $62,300 | $75,000 |
| Business and management | 51.6% | $60,000 | $72,000 |
| Creative arts | 37.8% | $60,000 | $62,600 |
| Communications | 32.2% | $57,400 | $65,200 |
A few patterns are worth pulling out directly. Nursing is the standout outlier: international graduates earn essentially the same median salary as domestic graduates ($72,700 vs $72,000), reflecting genuinely strong, registration-driven demand that doesn't discriminate much by citizenship once you're qualified — though the full-time employment rate is still meaningfully lower (67.7% vs 85.5%), suggesting the gap shows up more in finding a role at all than in what that role pays once found.
Computing and information systems — one of the largest fields for international students specifically — tells a more sobering story: a 43.5% full-time employment rate (the lowest among large-enrollment fields alongside Business), a $63,400 median salary against a $75,300 domestic figure, and — covered in more detail below — one of the highest rates of graduates reporting they're working below their skill level. Business and management, the single largest field of study for international students in Australia, shows a similar pattern: 51.6% full-time employment and a $12,000 salary gap against domestic graduates in the same field.
Communications and Creative Arts post the lowest full-time employment rates among international undergraduates (32.2% and 37.8% respectively) — useful context if you're choosing a field partly on post-study employment prospects, though plenty of legitimate non-financial reasons exist to study these fields regardless.
"Not having permanent residency" is a top reason for underemployment — and it's not close
This is the part of the QILT report that most directly addresses something other sources rarely quantify: international graduates were asked why they weren't working in jobs that fully use their skills and education. 18.4% of underemployed international undergraduates and 21.7% of underemployed international postgraduate coursework graduates cited "do not have permanent residency" as the main reason — compared to essentially 0% of domestic graduates, for whom this isn't a relevant barrier at all.
QILT's own analysis attributes this partly to employer practices: some employers restrict job applications to citizens or permanent residents only, even for roles international graduates are legally eligible to perform under their visa (typically the 485 Temporary Graduate visa at this stage). This is a structural barrier specific to international graduates' visa status, not a reflection of their qualifications or job-readiness — and it's a genuinely useful thing to know going in, since it means visa status itself functions as a real constraint on the job market you're competing in, separate from how well-prepared or qualified you are. For the mechanics of how the 485 visa itself works, see our Australia 485 Graduate Visa Guide.
The other top reason — "not enough work experience" — was also reported at meaningfully higher rates by international graduates (19.2% vs 11.8% at undergraduate level), which connects directly back to the age and experience gap discussed above.
Skills utilization: a master's degree doesn't close the "underqualified job" gap either
Beyond raw employment and salary, QILT also measures how many graduates are working in managerial or professional occupations — a proxy for whether graduates are using their degree-level skills at all, versus working in a job that doesn't require a degree.
| Study level | International (managerial/professional) | Domestic |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 63.2% | 68.7% |
| Postgraduate coursework | 63.8% | 86.2% |
| Postgraduate research | 91.1% | 90.5% |
This mirrors the salary pattern almost exactly: postgraduate coursework is where the gap is largest (22.4 percentage points), again consistent with international postgraduate coursework graduates not having meaningfully more workforce experience than undergraduates. Notably, at the postgraduate research (PhD) level, international graduates were actually employed in managerial/professional roles at a slightly higher rate than domestic graduates — reinforcing that the gap is really about experience and visa-status barriers specific to the coursework pathway, not a general international-vs-domestic skills gap.
University-level variation: choice of institution matters
Pooling 2022–2024 data, QILT found real spread between universities — though it's worth reading this with the caveat that factors like location, student demographics, and course mix all influence these numbers beyond teaching quality alone.
International undergraduate full-time employment rate, pooled 2022–24: ranged from 70.5% (University of the Sunshine Coast) at the high end to 28.6% (Bond University) at the low end.
International undergraduate median salary, pooled 2022–24: ranged from $77,200 (James Cook University) to $57,400 (Federation University Australia).
International postgraduate coursework full-time employment rate: ranged from 87.0% (University of Notre Dame Australia) to 42.7% (Charles Sturt University).
International postgraduate coursework median salary: ranged from $75,000 (University of Western Australia) to $56,400 (Charles Sturt University) — nearly a $20,000 spread.
Bond University's notably low full-time employment figure is worth a specific note: as a smaller, private university with a different student profile and course mix than the large public universities, this single figure shouldn't be read in isolation without understanding what's driving it for that institution's specific graduate population. The broader takeaway is that "Group of Eight vs. not" isn't a reliable shorthand for graduate outcomes — some non-Go8 universities (Sunshine Coast, James Cook, Notre Dame) outperform several Go8 institutions on these specific 2022–24 figures.
Underemployment: a real and rising issue in 2024
| Study level | International underemployment rate | Domestic underemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 29.0% | 17.7% |
| Postgraduate coursework | 24.2% | 7.7% |
| Postgraduate research | 12.7% | 10.6% |
"Underemployed" here means working part-time (under 35 hours/week) while wanting more hours. This rate climbed in 2024 compared to 2022–2023, alongside a broader easing in labour market tightness across Australia — international graduates were generally more affected by this softening than domestic graduates, per QILT's own analysis.
What this means for your decision to study in Australia
None of this data is a reason not to study in Australia — international graduates still report higher rates of feeling well-prepared for their jobs than domestic graduates do (81.4% vs 74.1% at undergraduate level), and outcomes vary enormously by field, university, and individual circumstance. But it does suggest a few concrete planning points:
- Choose your field with this data in mind, not just general reputation — nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and teacher education show consistently strong employment outcomes for international graduates specifically, while computing, business, and creative fields show larger gaps against domestic peers.
- Don't assume a master's degree automatically pays for itself through a higher Australian salary — the data suggests its value for international students is more about visa eligibility (a longer 485 visa, access to certain skilled occupation lists) and depth of expertise than a guaranteed salary jump.
- Building Australian work experience during your studies — through internships, placements, or part-time work where your visa allows — may matter more for your post-study salary than the qualification level itself, given how much of the international-domestic gap traces back to experience rather than credentials.
- Factor in that visa status itself is a real, quantified barrier reported by nearly a fifth of underemployed international graduates — not something you can simply out-qualify your way past, which makes a clear post-study visa and PR strategy (covered in our PR pathway guide) a genuinely practical part of maximizing your eventual salary, not just a bureaucratic afterthought.
Frequently asked questions
Why do international graduates earn less than domestic graduates in Australia? QILT's data points primarily to two factors: international graduates are typically younger and have less prior work experience (especially at the postgraduate coursework level, where they often move directly from undergraduate study), and visa status itself is a reported barrier — nearly one in five underemployed international graduates cite not having permanent residency as the reason they're not in a more skills-appropriate role.
Is a master's degree worth it for international students in Australia, salary-wise? Based on the 2024 data, not reliably on salary alone — international postgraduate coursework graduates earn only $2,000 more than international undergraduates, compared to a $25,000 gap for domestic graduates. A master's may still be worthwhile for other reasons, including longer 485 visa eligibility and occupation-specific requirements.
Which fields have the best salary outcomes for international graduates in Australia? Medicine ($83,300), law ($73,500), rehabilitation ($73,100), and nursing ($72,700) post the highest median salaries among large-enrollment fields for international undergraduates. Nursing stands out for having a median salary nearly identical to domestic graduates in the same field.
Does university choice matter for graduate salary outcomes? Yes, meaningfully — pooled 2022–24 data shows international undergraduate median salaries ranging from $57,400 to $77,200 depending on institution, and this doesn't track neatly with Group of Eight status; several non-Go8 universities outperform some Go8 institutions on these measures.
Is this QILT data more reliable than Glassdoor or Indeed salary estimates? For international students specifically, yes — QILT's Graduate Outcomes Survey is run by the Australian government, captures a very large sample (over 30,000 international graduate responses in 2024), and explicitly separates international from domestic outcomes by study level and field, which generic job-board salary aggregators don't do.
How does this connect to my 485 visa and PR planning? Directly — since visa/residency status is itself a reported barrier to skills-appropriate employment, having a clear plan for your 485 visa period and eventual PR pathway is a practical part of improving your odds of a higher-paying, skills-matched role, not a separate concern from your salary outcomes.
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Salary and employment figures in this report are drawn directly from the QILT (Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching) 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey International Report, published September 2025 by the Australian Government Department of Education, reflecting graduates surveyed 4–6 months after course completion. Figures represent medians for graduates employed full-time in Australia and are reported in nominal (not inflation-adjusted) terms. University-level figures are pooled across 2022–2024 survey years. These are historical outcomes for past graduate cohorts and are not a guarantee of future results — individual outcomes vary by program, prior experience, and circumstances. Full data tables are available at qilt.edu.au.