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When it comes to the role that wage packets pay in our career decisions, recent research has revealed that money matters most for men when it comes to the ingredients that make up their ideal job.

However, all graduates entering the jobs market for the first time will no doubt hope that a flying start to their careers and a generous salary package go hand in hand.

Graduates considering a career in the electronics sector will be pleased to hear that many roles pay above the graduate average of £29,000.

In fact graduates who take up the role of an engineer, manager or a member of sales in the electronics industry will now enjoy an average salary that has climbed by 5% over the last three years to £46,321.

These figures come as part of a survey carried out by Electronics Weekly in association with recruitment specialists, European Recruitment. It revealed that growing confidence in the sector over the last year, may have been one of the key drivers behind salary increases in the sector.

Since half of the survey respondents felt confident in the current prospects for the UK electronics industry, it comes as no surprise that fewer than 10% questioned are taking home less than £25,000. A third of respondents are even enjoying salaries that surpass the £50,000 mark.

When it comes to the highest paid roles engineers, sales staff and managers working in the communications sector top the table with average salaries of £52,594.

This is followed by staff working in the ‘consumer electronics’ sector whose average salary comes in at £51,398.

Those working in the manufacture and supply of components, also enjoy consistently above average sector average salaries, at an annual figure of £46,525.

Defence, aerospace and manufacturing services fall below average

Despite being sectors at the forefront of technological advances, the survey shows that defence, aerospace and manufacturing services command below average salaries.

The average salary in defence and aerospace stands at £42,161, whilst the figure for design and manufacturing stands at just £39,857 per annum.

What role would salary play in your decision to accept or reject a graduate job?