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Most people want to go to college, and want their children to go to college. Although the choice is not right for everybody, and is not possible for many people, we are taught that it is a good idea to get as much education as possible. Somebody who dropped out of high school is considered uneducated or undereducated. One might assume that these people work menial, low paying jobs. Somebody who doesn’t go to college is said to not have any higher education and they are not qualified for many careers. If you meet someone who has attended graduate school and perhaps even has a PhD, you are likely to assume that they are intelligent and that they make a good living. Are these assumptions based on reality or are they simply untrue social stereotypes?

For starters, we can discuss the types of jobs available to those with differing education levels. Nearly all employers require a high school diploma, or at least a G.E.D. The only jobs available to those who did not complete high school are retail and service related jobs that almost always pay minimum wage. Even these jobs will be usually more likely to hire a candidate who has graduated from high school over one who has not. However, a high school dropout who works a minimum wage job may get promoted within the business and end up in a management level position. He may also save up enough money to start his own business that can be extremely lucrative if it is successful. There are definitely high school dropouts out there who are both intelligent and hard working and can find a way to make a decent living, but it is not the norm. A high school graduate who did not attend college is not really qualified for many more jobs than a dropout is, but he is more likely to get hired for the same job. Trade schools are a different story. Someone who does not go to college but goes to trade school will have a specific talent that helps him get jobs which are often quite high paying. Just because somebody goes to college doesn’t mean they will get a good paying job. This depends on what they choose to study in college as well as the job market, the individual’s personality and their drive. Those who attend graduate school and have a Masters of PhD will be qualified for much higher paying jobs but, again, they may not get them. Somebody with a graduate degree may choose not to work at all, or take a low paying job doing something they’re passionate about while a high school dropout can make thousands of dollars a week in tips from the restaurant he works at as a waiter.

So it seems like there are exceptions and differing circumstances that result in no direct connection between education and pay level. The important thing to look at is averages. Although there are always exceptions, it is best to look at what the average person makes. Someone with a high school diploma makes an average of $34k a year. Someone with a Bachelor’s degree makes $65k. The average person with a master’s degree makes $83k and the average PhD makes $103k.

Although there are always exceptions we can conclude that, as a rule, higher education does result in higher pay.

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