Something for the weekend: We often hear of the impact higher education qualifications can have on earnings potential, but it appears that selecting certain GCSE subjects could also give salaries a boost in later life, according to research by online tutoring service Tutor House.
Its analysis of the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) UK labour force survey, which is a study of the employment circumstances of the UK population, revealed the average increase in lifetime earnings from a single grade improvement in each subject.
Maths and Business topped the list of the top five GCSE subjects for lifetime earnings, with an average increase of £14,579 and £12,873 respectively for each single grade improvement.
Meanwhile, Music and German were first and second on the five worst GCSE subjects for lifetime earnings list, with an average increase of £5,453 and £5,704 respectively for each single grade improvement.
The top five best GCSE subjects for life-time earnings are:
- Maths (£14,579)
- Business (£12,873)
- РЕ (£12,456)
- IT (£11,694)
- Geography (£11,598)
The top five worst GCSE subjects for life-time earnings are:
- Music (£5,453)
- German (£5,704)
- Spanish (£6,061)
- Art (£6,210)
- English Literature (£6,504)
A spokesperson for Tutor House said: “The correlation between GCSE subject choice and potential lifetime earnings is quite striking. It highlights a crucial aspect for students, parents, and educators to consider during the GCSE selection process.””
So, should employers take GSCE results into consideration when determining salary levels?