A United States Department of Labor survey conducted a few years ago revealed that full time employees at least twenty-five years old earn an average of about $675 a week. Not surprisingly, salaries were tied to educational levels, with workers who had not completed high school averaging $396 weekly, high school graduates with no college earning about $560 a week, and college graduates averaging weekly salaries of just under $1,000.
Workers with graduate degrees earned $1,149 per week, about $220 more than those with bachelors degrees only.
Other studies have determined that the income differential by educational attainment is even higher, with college graduates earning almost a million dollars more than high school graduates during their working lives. And, it seems likely that education level will have an even greater influence on earning power in the future.
The Washington Research Council predicts that, "higher education will become increasingly important for landing high paying jobs", and that good jobs will require higher and higher levels of education in the future.
Furthermore, in our increasingly competitive global economy, it seems highly likely that workers with bachelors, masters, professional, and doctoral degrees will suffer less unemployment and be less adversely impacted by the rise of economies overseas and the continued outsourcing of jobs. Yet, higher paying jobs and increased job security are not the only career-related rewards of higher education.
What about career and job satisfaction? A study by Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, and Peterson in 2000 found that people spend approximately 86,000 hours of their lives working. That is the equivalent of about ten years...way too long to spend in a career and/or a series of jobs in which one is not happy. Of course, those with the most education and those willing to continue their education and career training while working are the most likely to qualify for a variety of jobs, win promotions and/or change careers, maximizing the chance that their job satisfaction will be higher than their less educated counterparts.
There seems to be no doubt that undergraduate and graduate degrees lead to significantly greater earnings, a wider range of employment opportunities, more frequent career advancement, and significantly increased job satisfaction. Because the value of higher education is increasingly valued by employees and employers alike, and because scholarships and financial aid are now more readily available than ever before to students in online education programs, the number of working adults enrolled in part time degree programs is at an all time high.
The world is changing faster than it ever has in human history. Workers and employers must be able to learn new skills, adapt to new technologies, and meet the challenges of the global economy. To survive, and to prosper, a good education is more important than ever.
Workers with graduate degrees earned $1,149 per week, about $220 more than those with bachelors degrees only.
Other studies have determined that the income differential by educational attainment is even higher, with college graduates earning almost a million dollars more than high school graduates during their working lives. And, it seems likely that education level will have an even greater influence on earning power in the future.
The Washington Research Council predicts that, "higher education will become increasingly important for landing high paying jobs", and that good jobs will require higher and higher levels of education in the future.
Furthermore, in our increasingly competitive global economy, it seems highly likely that workers with bachelors, masters, professional, and doctoral degrees will suffer less unemployment and be less adversely impacted by the rise of economies overseas and the continued outsourcing of jobs. Yet, higher paying jobs and increased job security are not the only career-related rewards of higher education.
What about career and job satisfaction? A study by Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, and Peterson in 2000 found that people spend approximately 86,000 hours of their lives working. That is the equivalent of about ten years...way too long to spend in a career and/or a series of jobs in which one is not happy. Of course, those with the most education and those willing to continue their education and career training while working are the most likely to qualify for a variety of jobs, win promotions and/or change careers, maximizing the chance that their job satisfaction will be higher than their less educated counterparts.
There seems to be no doubt that undergraduate and graduate degrees lead to significantly greater earnings, a wider range of employment opportunities, more frequent career advancement, and significantly increased job satisfaction. Because the value of higher education is increasingly valued by employees and employers alike, and because scholarships and financial aid are now more readily available than ever before to students in online education programs, the number of working adults enrolled in part time degree programs is at an all time high.
The world is changing faster than it ever has in human history. Workers and employers must be able to learn new skills, adapt to new technologies, and meet the challenges of the global economy. To survive, and to prosper, a good education is more important than ever.
About the Author:
Daniel Kane has written dozens of articles on education. Among his websites are one on the twenty best online universities, and another on online degree programs.
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