Average Salary by Education Level
4 MINUTE READ • CAREER AWARENESS
When considering whether to pursue additional schooling, long-term planning is always crucial. Will the decisions you make today help you move closer to where you want to be tomorrow? One of the ways you can plan for your future is to do your research on the average salary by education level. We’ve broken down the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) so you don’t have to. Read on to learn about the opportunities and salaries available to you based on the level of education you attain. And remember - it’s never too late to go back to school and set your course for a different future.
According to the BLS, the average salary for workers in America is $39,810. For many households across the country, this would probably mean living a frugal lifestyle. In some big cities, it could even be considered impoverished. But this statistic includes all workers - regardless of their education level. Let’s take a deeper look at how salary is impacted by education level.
Earning Potential for Workers without Diplomas
BLS classifies 103 occupations as not requiring a high school diploma - occupations that include fast-food workers, restaurant wait-staff, housekeeping services, and construction workers. For those in these industries without a high school diploma, they can expect average salaries to range from $22,000 to $36,000.
Average Salaries for High School Diploma Earners
Those with their high school diploma can expect to earn $24,000-$39,000 on average annually. From the BLS data, it’s clear that a high school diploma is a huge return on a student’s investment. Careers requiring a high school diploma are widely varied but include healthcare aides, customer service reps, security guards, childcare workers, receptionists, and maintenance, among many others. In fact, BLS categorizes 322 occupations as requiring a high school diploma, almost twice that of any other education level, leaving a lot of opportunities open for high school graduates.
Impact of an Associate’s Degree on Earning Potential
An associate’s degree or a postsecondary nondegree award can open up the doors to nearly 100 additional occupations, including drivers, medical assistants, cosmetologists, IT support, and some accounting jobs. Earning potential ranges from $26,000 to $52,000. More than half of these jobs have wages higher than the national average for all workers.
Salaries for College Grads
College degrees pave the way to salaries that are consistently higher than the national average. For many, a college degree is a gateway to financial security, with salary averages between $60,000 to over $107,000. Additionally, they are eligible for an additional 169 jobs in nearly every industry, including management, software development, education, entertainment and recreation, and others.
Earning Potential for Postsecondary Degree Holders
Additional education opens the door to an additional 36 careers, but not necessarily to higher wages. Careers are often health and education-oriented (think nurse practitioners, doctors, post-secondary educators, teacher specialists, physical therapists, lawyers, etc.) with salaries averaging between $56,000 and $122,000 a year.
While many students look at dropping out of high school as a quick path to earn more money, more quickly than their peers, the truth is that you don’t have to choose between your education and your earning potential. Options like Grad Solutions allow students to study whenever it works best for you - before work, after the kids go to bed, and in between the obligations of life. Are you ready to make some decisions that will result in the type of future you want?
