Qualification pay gap: earnings and unemployment by education level
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025. Median usual weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers aged 25 and over; 2025 figures are 11-month averages that exclude October. Annual figures are weekly × 52. These are national medians across all fields, not a prediction for you.
The figures
| Qualification | Median weekly | Annual (×52) | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | US$2,307 | US$119,964 | 1.8% |
| Professional degree | US$2,294 | US$119,288 | 1.9% |
| Master's degree | US$1,876 | US$97,552 | 2.6% |
| Bachelor's degree | US$1,578 | US$82,056 | 2.8% |
| Associate degree | US$1,135 | US$59,020 | 3.0% |
| Some college, no degree | US$1,062 | US$55,224 | 3.8% |
| High school diploma | US$966 | US$50,232 | 4.3% |
| Less than high school | US$770 | US$40,040 | 6.1% |
What the numbers do and don't say
Across the US workforce, each step up in qualification is associated with higher median earnings and lower unemployment. The gap for any one person depends on the field, the employer and the role. The question that matters is narrower: does the next role you want require the qualification? If you're not sure, the Career Diagnosis checks it.