Average Salary by Education Level
Earnings rise sharply with education. Median weekly pay runs from about $930 for a high-school diploma to $1,543 for a bachelor’s degree and $1,840 for a master’s (BLS, 2024) — roughly $48,000 to $96,000 a year.
Median earnings by education (2024): high-school $930/week (~$48,400/yr), bachelor’s $1,543/week (~$80,200/yr), master’s $1,840/week (~$95,700/yr) — BLS.
- Bachelor's degree$1,543/wk
- High-school diploma$930/wk
- Master's degree$1,840/wk
- Doctoral degree$2,278/wk
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Education Pays, 2024
What these earnings measure
These are median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers 25 and older, by highest degree attained (BLS “Education Pays”). Median means half earn more, half less. Annual equivalents assume 52 weeks of full-time work. Earnings also reflect field of study, occupation and experience — not just the degree itself — and unemployment falls as education rises.
Median earnings by education (2024)
| Education | Weekly | Annual (×52) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high school | $738 | ~$38,400 |
| High-school diploma | $930 | ~$48,400 |
| Some college, no degree | $1,020 | ~$53,000 |
| Associate degree | $1,099 | ~$57,100 |
| Bachelor's degree | $1,543 | ~$80,200 |
| Master's degree | $1,840 | ~$95,700 |
| Professional degree | $2,206 | ~$114,700 |
| Doctoral degree | $2,278 | ~$118,500 |
BLS Education Pays, 2024, full-time workers 25+. Annual figures are NumberBench calculations (weekly × 52).
Frequently asked questions
How much more do college graduates earn?
A bachelor's degree ($1,543/week) earns about 66% more than a high-school diploma ($930/week) at the median (BLS, 2024).
What is the median salary with a bachelor’s degree?
About $1,543 a week, or roughly $80,200 a year for full-time workers 25 and older (BLS, 2024).
Does more education always mean more pay?
On average yes, and unemployment also falls with education — but field of study and occupation cause wide variation within each level.
Are these median or average figures?
Median — half of workers at each education level earn more and half earn less.
Sources & methodology
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Education Pays, 2024.
Weekly earnings are from BLS Education Pays (2024), full-time workers 25 and older. Annual and hourly equivalents are NumberBench calculations.
Last checked July 2026 · Refreshed annually with the BLS Education Pays update.