Allen’s blog of trivial stuff

This 2004 article from the Bureau of Labor Statistics compares the unemployment rates for individuals with different levels of education from 2003.  Individuals with a high school diploma or GED saw an average 5.5% unemployment rate (compared to 8.8% for those without a high school diploma), while those with a Master’s degree or higher saw unemployment rates under 3%.  Those with professional degrees (MD, JD, DDS, etc.) saw a 1.7% unemployment rate.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2004/fall/oochart.pdf

This 2002 Census publication compares lifetime earnings based on education attained.  For example, an individual with a high school diploma would make about $30,000 (1999 dollars) average over a lifetime.  An individual with a Master’s degree can more than double that with an average annual income of $63,000.

http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf