In 2025, salary remains an essential part of the employment equation, but graduates are making it clear that it is no longer sufficient on its own. While salary continues to lead as the most selected attribute, young professionals are increasingly prioritising other dimensions of the workplace experience.According to the data from Graduate Outlook Survey 2025 by the CFA Institute, this year 58% of graduate students identified salary as a top consideration when evaluating potential employers. This figure, however, reflects a four-point decline from 62% in 2024, indicating a gradual but noteworthy shift in how students assess value in employment.Close behind salary are working arrangements (49%), career progression opportunities (48%), and benefits (48%). These emerging priorities suggest that graduates are focused not just on short-term earnings but also on growth, balance, and long-term reward.
How graduate preferences in 2025 differ from 2024
A year-on-year comparison offers clear insights into changing expectations. While salary has decreased slightly in importance, career progression and benefits have each seen a six-point increase, rising from 42% in 2024 to 48% in 2025. These are the two most significant gains among all employer attributes.Similarly, working location rose from 28% to 33%, and perks climbed from 24% to 31%, reflecting a more holistic view of employment that includes logistical convenience and lifestyle flexibility. Flexible working arrangements, already valued in 2024, inched up modestly from 47% to 49%.Some factors have remained unchanged. The percentage of graduates citing the opportunity to work in or travel to different countries remained constant at 30%, as did preference for a diverse workplace, which held steady at 23%. These stable figures suggest that while global exposure and diversity are appreciated, they are not rising differentiators in the current landscape.Only 2% of graduates reported that there is nothing they actively look for in an employer. This overwhelmingly intentional approach suggests that graduates in 2025 are making employment decisions based on a blend of pragmatic concerns and aspirational goals.
What this means for employers in 2025
For employers, the message is clear: graduates still value salary, but they are increasingly evaluating job offers through a broader lens. To attract top early-career talent in 2025, organisations must offer more than financial incentives. Clear growth pathways, flexible work policies and well-structured benefits packages now carry comparable weight. The shift signals that today’s graduates are not just accepting offers; they are choosing employers whose values and support structures align with their long-term professional vision. Salary remains central, but it now sits within a more layered matrix of expectations. Employers who can pair competitive compensation with structured growth, flexibility, and meaningful workplace benefits are likely to appeal most to today’s well-informed and goal-oriented graduates.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
