An official website of the United States government
September marks the time when students go back to school for another year of education. Few things affect people’s earnings power more than their level of education. In general, more education means more dollars earned. In 2014, median weekly earnings for people with a bachelor’s degree or higher were $1,193, compared with $488 for those with less than a high school diploma. High school graduates without any college earned $668 per week in 2014, and those with some college or an associate degree earned $761 per week.
Year | Both sexes, less than high school | Both sexes, high school graduates | Both sexes, some college or associate degree | Both sexes, bachelor's degree or higher | Men, less than high school | Men, high school graduates | Men, some college or associate degree | Men, bachelor's degree or higher | Women, less than high school | Women, high school graduates | Women, some college or associate degree | Women, bachelor's degree or higher |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 |
$638 | $757 | $857 | $1,046 | $766 | $936 | $1,000 | $1,204 | $462 | $562 | $641 | $802 |
1980 |
608 | 729 | 833 | 1,030 | 732 | 896 | 981 | 1,170 | 449 | 551 | 633 | 795 |
1981 |
600 | 715 | 810 | 1,018 | 715 | 890 | 972 | 1,188 | 438 | 542 | 638 | 795 |
1982 |
585 | 712 | 828 | 1,033 | 691 | 882 | 969 | 1,186 | 434 | 557 | 646 | 816 |
1983 |
579 | 704 | 821 | 1,043 | 681 | 878 | 955 | 1,172 | 441 | 557 | 652 | 835 |
1984 |
570 | 701 | 829 | 1,054 | 668 | 866 | 967 | 1,219 | 434 | 562 | 662 | 846 |
1985 |
567 | 700 | 838 | 1,063 | 660 | 855 | 992 | 1,239 | 424 | 563 | 666 | 870 |
1986 |
573 | 709 | 843 | 1,082 | 662 | 858 | 1,000 | 1,274 | 429 | 571 | 680 | 899 |
1987 |
567 | 711 | 840 | 1,126 | 647 | 844 | 992 | 1,303 | 427 | 575 | 693 | 930 |
1988 |
554 | 708 | 827 | 1,125 | 638 | 840 | 967 | 1,306 | 425 | 573 | 692 | 933 |
1989 |
548 | 692 | 834 | 1,124 | 638 | 830 | 954 | 1,301 | 426 | 561 | 699 | 935 |
1990 |
533 | 678 | 837 | 1,121 | 613 | 807 | 953 | 1,302 | 422 | 554 | 694 | 940 |
1991 |
520 | 673 | 829 | 1,129 | 592 | 797 | 954 | 1,295 | 424 | 556 | 693 | 953 |
1992 |
514 | 666 | 800 | 1,150 | 580 | 792 | 917 | 1,307 | 423 | 557 | 673 | 982 |
1993 |
506 | 669 | 797 | 1,153 | 574 | 785 | 923 | 1,300 | 424 | 560 | 681 | 985 |
1994 |
485 | 665 | 788 | 1,158 | 540 | 784 | 927 | 1,305 | 406 | 555 | 668 | 1,002 |
1995 |
477 | 667 | 784 | 1,153 | 535 | 782 | 920 | 1,304 | 404 | 549 | 659 | 994 |
1996 |
477 | 666 | 779 | 1,140 | 537 | 776 | 908 | 1,314 | 403 | 549 | 665 | 988 |
1997 |
472 | 678 | 787 | 1,146 | 537 | 787 | 913 | 1,318 | 404 | 556 | 675 | 988 |
1998 |
489 | 695 | 810 | 1,192 | 556 | 811 | 933 | 1,363 | 411 | 575 | 691 | 1,026 |
1999 |
491 | 696 | 824 | 1,222 | 561 | 824 | 945 | 1,388 | 412 | 575 | 693 | 1,051 |
2000 |
498 | 695 | 820 | 1,226 | 558 | 813 | 950 | 1,403 | 418 | 578 | 695 | 1,040 |
2001 |
511 | 695 | 825 | 1,231 | 560 | 814 | 967 | 1,426 | 422 | 592 | 695 | 1,051 |
2002 |
511 | 704 | 828 | 1,238 | 554 | 812 | 962 | 1,434 | 428 | 603 | 714 | 1,064 |
2003 |
510 | 713 | 822 | 1,241 | 552 | 808 | 952 | 1,456 | 423 | 610 | 721 | 1,071 |
2004 |
503 | 719 | 828 | 1,236 | 559 | 808 | 954 | 1,432 | 419 | 612 | 723 | 1,078 |
2005 |
496 | 707 | 812 | 1,228 | 552 | 790 | 928 | 1,415 | 413 | 598 | 712 | 1,070 |
2006 |
492 | 698 | 812 | 1,219 | 550 | 796 | 934 | 1,414 | 420 | 587 | 707 | 1,062 |
2007 |
489 | 689 | 804 | 1,224 | 549 | 787 | 925 | 1,419 | 421 | 584 | 695 | 1,064 |
2008 |
498 | 680 | 794 | 1,227 | 547 | 780 | 913 | 1,414 | 416 | 572 | 691 | 1,051 |
2009 |
501 | 691 | 801 | 1,255 | 552 | 790 | 922 | 1,465 | 422 | 598 | 695 | 1,071 |
2010 |
482 | 680 | 797 | 1,242 | 528 | 771 | 917 | 1,444 | 421 | 590 | 693 | 1,071 |
2011 |
475 | 672 | 778 | 1,211 | 514 | 758 | 884 | 1,402 | 416 | 583 | 679 | 1,051 |
2012 |
486 | 672 | 772 | 1,201 | 524 | 758 | 884 | 1,413 | 398 | 578 | 679 | 1,032 |
2013 |
480 | 662 | 760 | 1,213 | 508 | 744 | 872 | 1,418 | 407 | 582 | 668 | 1,060 |
2014 |
488 | 668 | 761 | 1,193 | 517 | 751 | 872 | 1,385 | 409 | 578 | 661 | 1,049 |
In 2014, median weekly earnings for men with a bachelor’s degree or higher were $1,385, compared with $1,049 for women with the same level of education. On the other end of the scale, among people without a high school diploma, men earned just $517 per week in 2014 and women earned $409 per week.
At each level of education, women have fared better than men with respect to earnings growth. Although both women and men without a high school diploma have experienced declines in inflation-adjusted earnings since 1979, the drop for women was much smaller than that for men: an 11-percent decrease for women compared with a 33-percent decline for men. On an inflation-adjusted basis, earnings for women with a bachelor’s degree or higher have increased by 31 percent since 1979, while those of their male counterparts have risen by 15 percent.
These earnings data are annual averages from the Current Population Survey. The CPI-U-RS from the Consumer Price Index program is used to convert the pre-2014 earnings data into constant 2014 dollars.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, More education still means more pay in 2014 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/more-education-still-means-more-pay-in-2014.htm (visited November 07, 2024).