padgrad is a free career platform for graduates. It matches jobs to your degree, generates AI-powered CV checks and cover letters, and sends daily personalised job digests matched to your field of study.

Yes. You get 10 free credits on sign-up to use on AI CV checks and cover letters. All other tools — job matching, budgeting, application tracking, rejection logging — are free with no credit card required.

How does the AI CV Checker work?

Upload your CV and paste a job description. The AI analyses your CV against the role requirements, gives you an ATS compatibility score out of 100, and tells you exactly what keywords and formatting changes to make — helping you pass automated screening systems used by graduate recruiters.

How many jobs should I apply for as a graduate?

Graduates typically need to send between 20 and 50 applications to land a role, with top graduate schemes receiving an average of 58 applications per vacancy. Focus on quality over quantity — tailor each CV and cover letter to the role rather than spamming the same application everywhere.

How long does it take to get a graduate job?

Most graduates take between 3 and 6 months to land their first graduate role, though it varies by sector. Consulting, tech, and investment banking tend to have faster hiring cycles. Larger graduate schemes can take 4-6 months from application to offer.

What is the average graduate salary for 2026?

Graduate salaries vary widely by country, sector and region. Investment banking, law and tech tend to pay the highest, while public sector and charity roles typically start lower. Salaries in major cities usually sit above the national average — check local salary guides for figures relevant to your market.

How do I write a graduate CV with no work experience?

Focus on transferable skills from your degree — research projects, group assignments, presentations, and coursework. Include volunteering, society memberships, part-time jobs, and any placements or internships. Use Padgrad's CV Builder to structure your CV for ATS systems, then run it through the AI CV Checker to see how it scores.

How are jobs matched to my degree on padgrad?

We scrape thousands of graduate jobs daily and match them to over 300 specific degree fields. Whether you studied Biology, Law, Engineering, Psychology, or History — we only show you roles that fit your subject area and send them straight to your daily digest.

Do graduate schemes pay well?

Graduate schemes typically pay a competitive starting salary, with some industries paying significantly more. Law firms and investment banks often pay the most. Most schemes also offer benefits like bonuses, pension contributions, and professional qualification sponsorship — check each employer's offer for the specifics.

How many applications does it take to get a graduate job?

Research shows top employers receive an average of 58 applications per graduate vacancy. Most successful graduates send 20-40 tailored applications before receiving an offer. Track every application using Padgrad's Application Tracker to spot which types of roles you progress furthest in.

Can I apply for graduate jobs before I graduate?

Yes — most large graduate schemes open applications 6-12 months before the role starts, so you should apply in your final year. Smaller companies and direct-entry roles tend to hire closer to the start date. Padgrad's daily job digest includes both graduate schemes and entry-level roles you can apply for straight away.

What should a graduate CV include?

A strong graduate CV should include: your degree with predicted or achieved grade, relevant modules and dissertation topic, transferable skills (research, teamwork, communication), part-time work or volunteering, technical skills and software proficiency, and a personal profile. Most recruiters spend under 10 seconds scanning a CV — use Padgrad's AI CV Checker to make sure yours passes the six-second test.

Explore charity graduate jobs in 2026: salaries, entry routes and the roles hiring right now. Compare pay by specialism and start your application today.

Charity Graduate Jobs 2026: Pay, Roles and How to Start

Charity graduate jobs let you build a career and do good at the same time. The pay is often lower than in banking or tech. The work is often more rewarding.

This guide covers charity graduate jobs in 2026. You will see what the sector pays, which roles are hiring, and how to get your first paid role.

TL;DR

The charity sector employs around 1.15 million people.
Graduate charity roles start at about £26,000 to £32,000.
Fundraising, policy, digital and finance roles are hiring now.
Volunteering and paid internships are the strongest routes in.

Why charity graduate jobs are worth a look

The charity sector is also called the third sector, the voluntary sector or the not-for-profit sector. It exists to create impact, not profit.

In the United Kingdom, the sector employs about 1.15 million people. That is roughly 3% of the workforce. In 2025, registered charities had a combined income of £106 billion.

Pay often sits below the private sector. But charities tend to offer good leave, flexible hours and strong pensions. Most staff say the work gives them a clear sense of purpose.

What the sector looks like in 2026

Here are the key figures for the United Kingdom. They come from Prospects, which cites CharityJobs and the Charity Digital Skills Report.

Measure	Figure	Source (year)
People employed in the sector	About 1.15 million, or 3% of the workforce.	Prospects (2026).
Combined income in 2025	£106 billion.	Prospects (2026).
Registered charities	Around 171,000 in England and Wales.	Prospects (2026).
Staff at small charities	53% work for charities with fewer than 50 staff.	Prospects (2026).
Volunteers	6.56 million people support charities.	Prospects (2026).
Charities using AI	76% use it in some way.	Charity Digital Skills Report (2026).
Digital fundraising	41% rate it poor, and 25% do not do it.	Prospects (2026).

What charity graduate jobs pay

Pay in the charity sector is usually lower than in the private sector. It also varies a lot by role, location and the size of the firm.

Larger charities pay more. Prospects reports that London roles pay about 24% above the average for the rest of the country.

Level	Typical pay
Entry-level roles	£22,000 to £26,000.
Graduate roles	£26,000 to £32,000.
Manager roles	£32,000 to £45,000.
Senior leadership	£50,000 and above.

Prospects reports a median charity salary of around £35,000. Graduate roles at Cancer Research UK start at about £24,000. A research assistant at Oxfam earns around £23,000.

Charity pay by specialism

Pay also depends on what you do. The CharityJobs Salary Report gives these averages for the United Kingdom.

Specialism	Average salary
Finance	£50,000.
Fundraising	£38,150.
Marketing, PR and digital	£37,500.
Business services	£37,300.
Policy, advocacy and governance	£35,000.
Administration and support	£30,000.

Which charity graduate jobs are hiring

Some areas are growing faster than others. Here is what the 2025 vacancy data shows for the United Kingdom.

Fundraising: around 2,500 roles were posted between July and September 2025.
Business and finance: more than 2,900 vacancies, a 15% rise.
Marketing, PR and digital: over 100 applications per role on average.
Policy, advocacy and campaigns: around 600 vacancies each.

Social care is the largest subsector. It makes up about 20% of not-for-profit organisations. Around 39% of third-sector staff are social workers.

Common entry roles include:

Fundraising assistant or charity fundraiser.
Policy assistant or policy officer.
Charity officer or project development officer.
Volunteer coordinator.
Communications, marketing or social media assistant.
Data analyst or impact measurement officer.

How to get a charity graduate job

There is no single route into the sector. Most charities recruit straight into entry-level roles. Graduate schemes exist, but they are less common than in the private sector.

Pick the route that fits your stage:

Paid internships. Cancer Research UK runs 12-week internships. Wellcome runs eight-week summer placements paid at the London Living Wage.
Apprenticeships. Pay runs from the apprentice minimum wage up to about £22,000. Barnardo's and the National Trust run programmes from Level 3 to Level 7.
Graduate schemes. CharityWorks is a year-long programme. It pays £21,255, or £23,302 for London placements.
Volunteering. Around 7,000 volunteer-to-paid roles were posted on the Reach Volunteering platform in 2025.

To build your first application, use a clear CV check and a strong CV builder. Our guide to volunteering for graduates shows how to turn unpaid work into paid experience.

Skills charity employers want

Charities look for people who care about the cause. They also need practical skills.

Grant writing. You prepare strong funding bids.
Impact measurement. You use data to show what changed.
Monitoring and evaluation. You track whether a project worked.
Digital storytelling and online fundraising.
Communication, teamwork and adaptability.

Tech skills are in demand. The charity sector wants people who can use data and digital tools. If you bring those skills, you will stand out in a sector that is keen to modernise.

How to apply for charity graduate jobs

A charity application is not just about the job description. Employers want to see real motivation and a link to their mission.

Research the charity. Read its mission, its beneficiaries and its current priorities.
Tailor your CV and cover letter to each role.
Show transferable skills: communication, problem solving and adaptability.
Expect competency questions about working with tight budgets.

Our application checklist helps you check every part before you send it.

Working beyond the United Kingdom

Charity work is global. About 10% of charities in the United Kingdom run projects overseas.

In Uganda, the NGO Bureau regulates non-profit groups. In the Philippines, the Department of Social Welfare and Development oversees many non-profit programmes. Most big charities hire local staff first, so on-the-ground experience helps.

Overseas roles usually come later in your career. Short placements are a good first step.

The Bottom Line

Charity graduate jobs trade some pay for purpose. The sector employs over a million people. Graduate pay starts around £26,000 to £32,000, and finance and fundraising roles can pay more.

The fastest route in is experience. Volunteer, take a paid internship, then apply for entry-level roles. Tailor every application to the cause.

Want a head start? Join Padgrad. Our free tools help you build a strong CV and find roles in the United Kingdom, Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines.

By Ori