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Young graduates from many different fields of study help ensure a prosperous future for Canada. They are those who will build and maintain a strong social infrastructure in areas such as education, communications, justice and health, alongside graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), who will advance the frontiers of science and technology and increase the competitiveness of the Canadian economy globally. Understanding how these graduates fare in the labour market is not only important for policy makers, but also for young people themselves in making their education decisions. The 2016 Census in Brief article entitled "Are young bachelor's degree holders finding jobs that match their studies?" looks at whether young graduates from different fields of study are finding jobs that require their level of education, and whether their job matches their field of study. The analysis in the current article complements that publication by looking at the earnings of young bachelor's degree holders by their field of study. This article will focus on the earnings of young people aged 25 to 34 who completed their education in Canada, and are bachelor's degree holders from STEM and BHASE (business, humanities, health, arts, social science and education) fields of study. To make earnings more comparable, it includes only graduates who were paid employees working full time and full year in 2015. Some highlights of findings from this report include: (1) Overall, young graduates with a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields of study had higher earnings in 2015 than those in business, humanities, health, arts, social science and education (BHASE) fields of study; (2) 'Engineering' graduates earned the most among young men and women with a bachelor's degree in STEM; (3) 'Nursing' graduates earned the most among young people with a bachelor's degree in BHASE; and (4) Men were more likely to have a degree in high-paying STEM fields such as 'engineering,' while women were more likely to have a degree in high-paying BHASE fields such as 'nursing.' [For "Are Young Bachelor's Degree Holders Finding Jobs That Match Their Studies? Census of Population, 2016. Census in Brief," see ED585232.]

Are young postsecondary graduates finding employment related to their studies? Are there opportunities for them to use the skills they have acquired by obtaining bachelor's degrees? Do women and men fare similarly? Are there differences on these dimensions whether they are 'science, technology, engineering and mathematics' (STEM) graduates or 'business, humanities, health, arts, social science and education' (BHASE) graduates? Young people and their parents often have such questions in mind when choosing education programs. The purpose of this report is to shed light on the outcomes of the Canadian educational system and to inform Canadians about their education choices. Highlights of findings include: (1) Young graduates with bachelor's degrees in the fields of study of 'nursing,' 'engineering,' 'education and teaching' and 'computer and information science' are more likely than other graduates to find work closely related to their studies; (2) Given Canada's aging population, individuals with health care skills are increasingly important to the labour market; (3) Young bachelor's degree holders in 'engineering' and 'computer and information science' were very likely to bring their qualifications to where they were needed in the labour market, as 7 in 10 worked in science and technology occupations; and (4) Young bachelor's degree holders in 'arts and humanities' and 'social and behavioural sciences' were more likely than other young graduates with bachelor's degrees to work in jobs typically requiring a high school education at most.