Young graduates earn £7,000 more than non-graduates

The salary gap between young graduates and non-graduates has reached a six-year high, figures show.

Graduates aged between 21 and 30 can expect an average salary of £25,012, while non-graduates of the same age are paid £17,992, a difference of £7,020.

The gap has grown by 10% in the last 12 months and is just £468 short of the previous high in 2009.

The findings from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills also show that salaries for young graduates are at their highest since comparable records began.

Since 2006, a graduate's average pay has jumped £3,106, or 14%, while non-graduate pay has increased by just £1,352, or 8%.

Young postgraduates enjoy a higher average salary of £28,496. When compared over the same time-frame this group comes out top again, with pay increasing by £4,160 (17%).

1 / 10

Flying high literally as well as metaphorically, pilots top the salary scale this year. There are various routes into the job, from university courses to airlines' own training schemes; private training will set you back as much as £50,000 to £60,000.

"I most enjoy the variety of the job, working as a team, to a schedule, with the responsibility of safely transporting hundreds of people to their destination. I would advise aspiring pilots to thoroughly research training routes, understand the serious financial outlay required with no guarantee of a job after training and to consider other routes such as flight instruction."

More on AOL Money:

Tube manager earns as much as PM

Women will benefit from national living wage​

Increase in number of zero-hours contracts​