Published Jan-30-2009
Median earnings vary by education level, and it is not hard to find a theme in the data: greater levels of education correspond to higher earnings. This trend is not really surprising given that better paying jobs often have higher skill and education requirements. But the incremental change from one level of education to the next is quite significant.
In Oregon, for those who finished high school or earned an equivalent diploma, their median earnings were about $6,900 more in 2007 than those who didn't graduate. That extra effort in working toward a diploma results in more than just a little pocket change – an extra $575 per month. Completing some college – but less than a bachelor's degree – also helps boost the bank account with the median earnings over $4,850 more in 2007, or an average of $404 per month.
Oregon's median wage by educational attainment lags behind the U.S. at every level, with the gap widening at higher levels of education.
What about male versus female earnings? Median earnings of women were just 67 percent of men's earnings in Oregon and nationally. The ratio of female-to-male earnings was highest for those with less than a high school education, where women earned 70 percent of men's earnings in Oregon. The ratio generally decreased as the educational level increased. For men and women with some college education, women earned 67 percent of what men earned. At the bachelor's level, the ratio was 65 percent.
