When Less Education Means More Money

On average, people with more education make more money over their careers. But at each level of education, some people make more than the median for those at higher levels. Researchers from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to explore earnings overlap among full-time, full-year workers. These overlaps are closely linked to workers’ occupations; for example, a nurse with an associate degree might well make more than the typical worker with a bachelor’s. Click on an education level to see what percent of workers in other categories out-earn the typical worker at that level.

Source: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
Note: Data is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 2007-9.