Salary Estimates and Projected Job Growth by Education 2004–2014

The highest paying jobs of the future are likely to be those requiring the highest technical skills. The wages and growth estimates below are projections from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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  • No High School diploma or GED
    • Full-time workers age 25 years and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $415.**
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$1,000,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Retail salespersons
      • Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
      • Waiters and waitresses
      • Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
  • High School diploma or GED
    • Full-time workers age 25 years and over with a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $597.** (May require additional Apprenticeship Training)
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$1,200,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Carpenters
      • Cooks, restaurant
      • Police and sheriff's patrol officers
      • Plumbers, pipe fitters, and steam fitters
      • Electricians
  • Vocational certificate
    • Full-time workers age 25 years and over with a vocational certificate had median weekly earnings of varying amounts based on certificate earned, related work experience and market demand.
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$1,500,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Dental assistants
      • Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
      • Automotive service technicians and mechanics
      • Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
      • First-line supervisors/managers of food preparation and serving workers
      • Self-enrichment education teachers
      • First-line supervisors/managers of retail sales workers
  • Associate's degree (2 Year)
    • Full-time workers age 25 years and over with an associate's degree had median weekly earnings of $700.**
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$1,600,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Electronics Technician
      • Registered nurses
      • Computer support specialists
      • Dental hygienists
      • Paralegals and legal assistants
      • Medical records and health information technicians
  • Bachelor's degree (4 Year) / experienced & entry level
    • Full-time workers age 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree had median weekly earnings of $966.**
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$2,100,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • General and operations managers
      • Management analysts
      • Financial managers
      • Computer and information systems managers
      • Sales managers
      • Elementary school teachers, except special education
      • Accountants and auditors
      • Computer, software, electrical, and applications engineers
      • Computer systems analysts
      • Secondary school teachers, except special and vocational education
  • Master's degree
    • Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree), had median weekly earnings of $1,217.**
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$2,500,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Physical therapists
      • Clergy
      • Educational, vocational, and school counselors
      • Instructional coordinators
      • Rehabilitation counselors
  • Doctoral degree / Professional degree
    • Among college graduates with advanced degrees (professional or master's degree, and above), the highest-earning 10 percent made $3,090 or more per week.**
    • Expected life-time earnings over 40 year working life is ~$3,400,000 - $4,400,000
    • Projected occupations to have the largest number of new jobs*
      • Physicians and surgeons
      • Lawyers
      • Pharmacists
      • Veterinarians
      • Chiropractors
      • Post secondary teachers
      • Clinical, counseling, and school psychologists
      • Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
      • Computer and information scientists, research
      • Biochemists and biophysicists

Sources

*US Dept. of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook
**US Dept. of Labor, Weekly Earnings Summary

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