No High School Degree

• According to BLS, people without high school degrees or GEDs were more likely to be unemployed and make less money than those with degrees. The median income for people without high school diplomas was $444 per week in 2010. This is $338 less than the national average weekly income of $782. People without high school degrees also had the highest rate of unemployment among education levels, 14.9 percent.
  
  

High School Diploma

• High school graduates or those with GEDs made more than those without any type of degree. In 2010, they earned $626 per week, $202 more per week and over $9, 500 per year more than those without high school diplomas. Although their percentage of unemployment was the second highest among the education levels, it was still 4.6 percent lower than the unemployment rate among those with no diplomas.
  
  

Bachelor's Degrees

• People with bachelor's degrees not only made more than both those with high school diplomas and those without degrees in 2010, they also surpassed the national median weekly income. People with bachelor's degrees made an average $1,038 per week and had a 5.4 percent unemployment rate, 2.8 percent below the national employment rate. Bachelor's degree earners made $594 per week more than those without any degree.
  
  

Master's and Professional Degrees

• The highest earners in 2010 were those with master's and professionals degrees. Each week, these workers made between $1,272 and $1,610 per week. They also had the lowest unemployment rates, which ranged from 1.9 percent among doctoral degree holders to 4 percent among those with master's degrees. Advanced degree holders made at least $828 more per week than those without degrees.