Hourly wages, by educational attainment

Women continue to earn less than men at all educational levels

• Higher levels of education are generally associated with higher wages. The supply of workers with very high levels of education is relatively limited, driving up their earnings. Sometimes education is also used as a screening device that indicates a capacity to learn new abilities or to apply critical thinking in new ways. In 2003, master’s and doctoral graduates earned $27.74 per hour, on average, an amount 78% higher than that earned by employees with a high school diploma only ($15.60).
• Women’s hourly wages continue to fall below men’s at all levels of education. For example, women with a bachelor's degree earned 86 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2003, while women with an educational level of grade 8 or less earned 71 cents for every dollar earned by men.

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