📚 Degree pathways for Diplomat / Foreign Office
Politics / International Relations / PPE (BA)
Primary routeModern Languages (BA)
Primary routeHistory (BA)
AlternativeEconomics / Law
Alternative🎯 Typical entry grades
A-level
AAA (Oxbridge / LSE / UCL pedigree helps Fast Stream)
IB Diploma
38+
💷 Diplomat / Foreign Office salary outlook across 7 markets
Annual local-currency medians. Hover / tap the note column for context.
| Market | Entry | Mid (5–10y) | Senior |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 UK Heads of Mission to £150k; overseas allowances +50–100% | £31,000 | £65,000 | £150,000 |
| 🇺🇸 US State Department FSO grades | $65,000 | $130,000 | $200,000 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia DFAT | A$80,000 | A$140,000 | A$220,000 |
| 🇦🇪 UAE UAE Foreign Affairs | AED 200,000 | AED 500,000 | AED 1,000,000 |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore MFA | S$50,000 | S$120,000 | S$280,000 |
| 🇮🇳 India IFS officer + perks | ₹8,00,000 | ₹25,00,000 | ₹65,00,000 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia Wisma Putra | RM 50,000 | RM 110,000 | RM 230,000 |
UAE figures are tax-free. Singapore tax is materially lower than UK/US/AU. Real salaries vary by employer, city and specialisation. Refreshed annually.
📈 Job outlook + AI / automation risk
Stable but selective. FCDO Fast Stream is one of the hardest UK graduate schemes to enter (3,000+ applicants for ~150 places).
Low automation risk
Human judgement, hands-on physical work, or interpersonal trust make this hard to automate in the next 10–15 years.
🏢 Top employers for Diplomat / Foreign Offices
FCDO (UK Foreign Office) EU External Action Service UN agencies US State Department