Education and Earnings

Almost everyone has heard from one source or another that earnings and college education are directly related. If you're like many of them, you may be wondering how closely related they really are. People who are about to make the decision whether to attend college or enter the work force with no higher education need only to look to recent research by the Bureau of Labor statistics (www.bls.gov) to find the answer.

The Bureau posts an enormous amount of information on the details of America's work force. One of those pages shows a graph of median weekly earnings for several levels of education. Here is the rundown.

For women, 25 years old and over:

• High school dropouts--around $250 to $650
• High school graduates---around $300 to $1,000
• Bachelor's degree--around $475 to $1,800
• Advanced degree--around $600 to $2,100

For men, 25 years old and over:

• High school dropouts--around $300 to $900
• High school graduates---around $400 to $1,300
• Bachelor's degree--around $600 to $2,500
• Advanced degree--around $700 to $3,400

This information comes from the Bureau's "Current Population Survey." You can find a link to this survey on the page with the earnings data.

As you can see, the difference between a high school dropout and someone with an advanced degree is quite large. However, the difference between a high school graduate and advanced degree holder is almost as great! It is clear from the data presented, which is drawn right from the American work force, that college degrees play a big role in how much money you will earn once you graduate and enter the work force.

Even if you are not right out of high school and currently working, you can get a college degree! Check out how online education can help you earn you degree and land that dream job.