The previous year (2008) salary was £21,945.

The average salary for postgraduates (Masters & PhDs) in 2009, based on 145 replies, was £34,897.

For more information on graduate salary levels go to "What do graduates do?" section on Prospects.ac.uk.

When's the best time to negotiate the starting salary?

Employers quite often don't give a salary figure when they advertise a job. They will wait until they have decided who to offer the job to before deciding on the salary. Exceptions to this are the graduate training schemes, where there is usually at least a salary range in place, to cover all joiners.

If you wish to try and improve the salary on offer then a good time to do so is after they have offered you the job but before you have accepted it. You can negotiate by phone, email or a letter.

A good form of words is, " I'm very pleased you want me to work for you, I wonder if you are able to improve the starting salary at all?"

It would be appropriate to point out any particularly relevant skills or experiences you bring that justify more money.

It's wisest not to threaten or back yourself into a corner. If you say "I won't take the job on that salary" you run the risk of them replying "well we can't increase it - so goodbye!".

They may not have much room for manoeuvre. If they are hiring a number of people quite similar to you, as is often the case for graduate training schemes, they may wish to start you all on comparable salaries. It's also important to maintain pay differencials with existing staff.

If they can't increase the salary, then try to see if you can get them to improve the package in some way. Another possibility is an early salary review, at say three or six months. A joining bonus, "a golden hello" , or a contribution towards your house move, relocation costs, or a performance bonus are all other alternatives. Don't forget to look at everything on offer; a company that is contributing to your pension or supporting your training may have a better overall package than one without these extras.

What do you say if they ask what salary you're expecting?

This can be tricky. If it's a conventional mainstream graduate role then saying " I'd hope to be paid in line with average graduate salaries" is generally safe. Be prepared and know what that salary is.

Alternatively this might be a really rare opportunity, you don't want to lose it by being greedy or unrealistic and you're not sure what typical salaries might be. In this case you could try, "getting the right job is more important to me than salary levels. I'm sure salary won't be a problem".

The Careers Service is always willing to offer help and advice in dealing with these issues, just ask. We may also be able to provide some information about average starting salaries in each sector.

Don't forget you'll have to pay Tax and National Insurance (NI). Salaries are always quoted gross, that is before these deductions. For more information about Tax and NI go to the HM Revenue and Customs website.