How competitive are graduate jobs/schemes in Edinburgh?

The graduate job/scheme market is competitive in Edinburgh. But that doesn’t mean you won’t get into a graduate programme! If you take the right steps, you can maximise your chances of getting a graduate job or getting on to a scheme. To boost your chances, you should apply in your final year of university and start looking as early as possible. We’re also here to help. If you want to further develop your skills and make your applications stand out, try our free online learning tools – Pathways and GradSims .

Which companies offer graduate schemes/jobs in Edinburgh?

Many companies offer graduate programmes in Edinburgh. Discover a range of graduate employers – with our dedicated guides you’ll learn more about the companies that offer graduate roles, how to apply, and more.

What type of graduate job/scheme can you get in Edinburgh?

There are plenty of different types of graduate programmes you can get on to in Edinburgh when you have a university degree. You could get a graduate job - which is a full-time role within a company and usually unstructured with a shorter application process. Or you could get on to a graduate scheme – a structured training programme that typically would run between one to three years. Sectors include – but aren’t limited to – marketing, law, engineering, finance, IT, HR, and healthcare. For example, a marketing graduate scheme would include rotations across different teams, so you’d gain experience in different marketing roles including digital, product, content, social media marketing, brand management, and market research. Whereas a marketing graduate job would likely be for a specific role within a sector – for example: graduate digital marketing executive.

What’s the average graduate salary in Edinburgh?

Although there’s been a bit of research on the average graduate salaries in Edinburgh, we’d take the findings with a pinch of salt. It really does depend on things like the company, sector and role. For example, sectors like finance and law may offer larger salaries and bonuses across their graduate jobs and schemes. To help give you an idea, UK-wide, the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) found the average UK salary was £35,170 in 2023. Bear in mind that graduate salaries in London are often higher than in other cities, largely due to the higher cost of living.

How expensive is it to live and work in Edinburgh?

Living in Edinburgh can be expensive compared to other towns and cities in the UK. According to Finder , Edinburgh is the fifth city in the UK with the highest monthly living costs. However, how expensive it would be to live there may vary depending on your own spending habits and living preferences. According to ESPC , the average monthly cost to rent a whole property in Edinburgh was £1,574 in 2024. It may be more cost-effective to rent a room in a house share or buddy up with friends further out of the city instead of renting a whole house in the city centre.