Salary Stats

More Education Leads to More Income

Data shows that a college degree correlates directly to your salary range—and the relationship between compensation and education level is becoming even more prominent. Today a formal, focused education is an essential ingredient. Employers have increasingly used diplomas and degrees as a way to screen applicants. And once you've landed the job you want, your salary will reflect your credentials. On average, a person with a Master's degree earns $38,400 more per year than a high school graduate—a difference of as much as 104%! See the difference for yourself in the chart below.

Average Annual Earnings by Level of Education, 2002-2006

NOTE: Year-round, full-time workers 25 years and older.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, Series P-60, "Money Income of Households, Families, and Persons in the United States," "Income, Poverty, and Valuation of Noncash Benefits," various years; and Series P-60, "Money Income in the United States," various years. From Digest of Education Statistics 2005.