The Ministry of Education has released information on graduate earnings which shows that the earnings premium for a bachelors degree in law five years after study is among the highest.
The earnings premium data covers graduates who are classified as employed and for whom working in New Zealand is their main activity in a year. It shows that health-related fields have the largest earnings premiums over the national median.
The narrow field with the highest earnings premium was medical studies (201% relative to the national median earnings), followed by radiography (102%), pharmacy (100%) and then dental studies (97%).
Law is fifth-highest, at 65%, along with banking, finance and related fields.
Earnings premiums for domestic graduates five years after study relative to national median earnings
| Bachelors degree level | Earnings Premium |
| Medical studies | 201% |
| Radiography | 102% |
| Pharmacy | 100% |
| Dental studies | 97% |
| Law | 65% |
| Banking, Financial, Related Fields | 65% |
| Environmental Studies | 62% |
| Information Systems | 61% |
| Other Natural & Physical Sciences | 60% |
| Nursing | 60% |
| Economics & Econometrics | 60% |
| Accountancy | 59% |
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering | 59% |
| Computer Science | 58% |
| Physics & Astronomy | 56% |
| Mathematical Sciences | 51% |
| Business & Management | 50% |
| Earth Sciences | 50% |
| Agriculture | 49% |
| Sales & Marketing | 47% |
| Rehabilitation Therapies | 43% |
| Teacher Education | 41% |
| ALL BACHELORS | 40% |
| Political Science & Policy Studies | 40% |
| Curriculum & Education Studies | 39% |
| Other Health | 35% |
| Chemical Sciences | 34% |
| Architecture & Urban Environment | 33% |
| Human Welfare Studies & Services | 32% |
| Biological Sciences | 32% |
| Studies in Human Society | 32% |
| Behaviour Science | 32% |
| Tourism | 30% |
| Other Society & Culture | 29% |
| Communications & Media Studies | 27% |
| Language & Literature | 27% |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 25% |
| Sport & Recreation | 21% |
| Graphic & Design Studies | 17% |
| Performing Arts | 4% |
| Visual Arts & Crafts | 4% |
Other information shows it takes law bachelors graduates four years for median earnings to reach a premium of more than 50% over the national median.
Years for domestic graduates to reach premium of over 50% over national median earnings
| Narrow field | Years |
| Medical studies | 1 |
| Dental studies | 1 |
| Radiography | 2 |
| Pharmacy | 2 |
| Law | 4 |
| Banking, finance & related fields | 4 |
| Information systems | 4 |
| Nursing | 4 |
| Computer science | 4 |
| Agriculture | 4 |
| Environmental studies | 5 |
| Other natural & physical sciences | 5 |
| Economics & econometrics | 5 |
| Accountancy | 5 |
| Electrical & electronic engineering & technology | 5 |
| Physics & astronomy | 5 |
| Mathematical sciences | 5 |
| Business & management | 5 |
| Earth sciences | 6 |
| Sales & marketing | 6 |
| Chemical sciences | 6 |
| ALL BACHELORS | 7 |
| Political science & policy studies | 7 |
| Curriculum & education studies | 7 |
| Teacher education | 8 |
| Architecture & urban environment | 8 |
| Biological sciences | 8 |