A-levels in PE or tourism pay better than English

PHYSICAL education and travel and tourism A-levels are more lucrative than taking English literature, official figures show.

Six years after finishing school, the median salary of those who took history, classics and philosophy is below that of their peers who took more vocation-based subjects, according to data published by the Department for Education (DFE).

At age 24-25, the highest earners are those who studied further maths at A-level who are being paid £25,600 on average. Physics, computing and economics students also come up as among the highest earners with salaries of £24,100, £22,500 and £23,900.

Meanwhile, those who studied humanities for A-levels generally earn under £20,000 by their mid-20s.

The median salary for former English literature students was £19,200 and for their peers who took philosophy it was £18,500.

However, teenagers who took more vocational subjects went on to earn higher wages, with travel and tourism students going on to earn £20,200 and PE students earning £20,400.

The data is part of the Dfe’s Longitudinal Education Outcomes study, which combines information from students’ school and university records with their tax records one, three and five years after finishing their degree.

This set of figures was of students who took their A-levels in 2010-11 and their earnings in 2016-17. It does not capture whether people went to university, meaning that those who entered the workplace straight after school may be earning more in their mid-20s but may fall behind later on.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that students who take more vocational subjects for their A-levels may also be more career minded than their peers.

“They may be people who draw a more explicit link in their mind between their education and earnings than people choosing more humanities and arts subjects,” he said.

He said that the figures only give a snapshot of earnings at age 24-25 so the picture may look different in a decade.

Suzie Longstaff, headmistress of the £20,000-a-year Putney High School, said that teenagers should not be lured by the potential high pay associated with studying some A-levels if they do not actually enjoy the subjects.

She said: “The increased hybridisation of jobs means that every subject has its value and I have always said, ‘Do what you enjoy as that will lead you towards a degree and career that is interesting and meaningful for you’.”

Prof Tom Mcleish, chair of the Royal Society’s education committee, said: “While we cannot accurately predict what future careers will look like, an increasing number of jobs require mathematical and data skills.”