College degree determines
what you earn

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Star-Bulletin staff

College graduates who have a bachelor's degree in engineering earn the highest average monthly pay at $4,680, while those with education degrees earn the lowest at $2,802, according to a report released this week from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The bureau -- using 1996 data -- studied the earnings potential of college majors and determined at the top of the scale were those with professional degrees, such as doctors and lawyers, who earned an average of $7,224 per month.

Those who have master's degrees earn about $4,635 a month, while those with bachelor's degrees earned $3,767. High school graduates earn an average $2,279 a month, while those without a high school diploma earn $1,699.

Survey results show business was the most popular field. And of those people with management jobs, 46 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher.

The 1996 data should not be confused with the results of Census 2000, which are being released over the next three years.