Careers in finance | UNSW Sydney (2024)

Would it surprise you to learn that 85% of workers in Australia have earned an undergraduate degree or higher?

What that tells us is that a lot of careers require a bachelor's degree. And even in fields where an undergraduate degree isn’t necessarily mandatory, it will set you apart from the pack and increase the number of opportunities that are open to you.

What can I do after finishing an undergraduate degree?

Your undergraduate degree isn't just a ticket to a job; it's your passport to a future where you can keep learning and growing – whether that’s on the job or continuing your studies with a postgraduate degree. If you want to kickstart your career, there are plenty of job opportunities for graduates with a bachelor's degree across every sector.

If you decide you want to pursue further study later on – whether that’s to deepen your expertise in a particular area to open up new opportunities or make a career change – there are loads of options awaiting you, from postgraduate certificates through to PhDs.

What jobs can I get with an undergraduate degree?

There are plenty of fields you can enter straight after finishing your bachelor's degree, no matter what your degree is or what you majored in. However, in some cases, you might need to complete certain professional qualifications, such as for Chartered Accountants. If you’ve completed a double degree, you’ll also double your career options.

Remember that many people also end up working in fields that are completely unrelated to what they studied in their undergraduate degree. So, if you have your sights set on a career in business but you studied arts, don’t let it hold you back.

Here are some of the jobs that only require a bachelor's degree:

Bachelor of Arts
  • Content Writer
  • Social Media Manager
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Event Coordinator
  • Human Resources Assistant

Explore the Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)
  • Database & Systems Administrator
  • Software Engineer
  • Cybersecurity Analyst
  • Network Administrator

Explore the Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)

Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice
  • Solicitor
  • Legal analyst
  • Law Enforcement Officer
  • Fraud or crime investigator

Bachelor of Science
  • Laboratory Technician
  • Research Assistant
  • Data Analyst
  • Environmental Scientist

Explore the Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Commerce
  • Accountant
  • Financial Analyst
  • Marketing Specialist
  • Sales Manager
  • Business Consultant

Explore the Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
  • Mechanical Engineer
  • Civil Engineer
  • Electrical Engineer
  • Software Developer

Explore the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Bachelor of International Public Health:
  • Data Analyst for public or private health service
  • Health Promotion Officer
  • Policy or Community Strategy Development
  • Health & Welfare Services Manager

Explore the Bachelor of International Public Health

What high-paying jobs can I get with a bachelor degree?

There are many career paths with high-earning potential that don’t require any further study. Bachelor of Commerce graduates are one example. They can enter lucrative fields such as banking straight out of university, where the average annual salary is $165,000 in Australia.

In the high-paying tech sector, software architects are in high demand with job growth predicted to be 27% in the next five years. The average salary reflects that demand, with software architects in Australia earning $168,000 on average annually.

While there is a common perception that Bachelor of Arts graduates don’t have high earning potential, that couldn’t be more wrong: 67.6% of the CEOs of ASX200 companies have a degree in social sciences. The average salary of a CEO in Australia ranges from $205,000-$225,000 - well above the national average.

UNSW is known to produce Australia’s most employable graduates* and our students go on to earn some of the highest median graduate salaries of all Go8 universities**. So, whatever you study at UNSW, you’ll be set up for career success.

*AFR Top100 Future Leaders Awards 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
**Highest graduate median salaries of Go8 universities (QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022)

FAQs

  • There are many jobs that only require undergraduate degrees that are in high demand. Here are a few of these jobs, along with the job growth projected by the National Skills Commission.

    • Digital marketing managers: 11.4% job growth projected in the next five years
    • Teacher (primary and secondary): 9.4% job growth projected in the next five years
    • Business analyst: 23.2% job growth projected in the next five years
    • Software developers: 27% job growth projected in the next five years
    • Engineers: 10.5% job growth projected in the next five years

  • Yes! There are many reasons to keep studying after completing your bachelor’s degree, whether you want to advance your knowledge in your chosen field, specialise in a particular area, complete research, or get the post qualifications you need to enter certain jobs. Explore our postgraduate programs at UNSW.

    Learn more
  • If you want to start work as soon as you finish your degree, but keep studying at the same time, there are plenty of options. UNSW offers flexible, online and part-time study options that work around your life, not the other way around.

Careers in finance | UNSW Sydney (2024)
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