Work Experience

• Workers with only a high school diploma who had one year of experience or less in their field averaged annual salaries of $30,499. With 20 years of experience in their field, workers earned an average of $49,435.
  
  

Leading Industries

• High-paying employers for individuals with a maximum of a high school diploma were hospitals with an average of $44,380, foundations at $43,103, the federal government at $42,044 and incorporated companies at $43,340.
  
  

Industry and Service

• With a high school diploma, workers in construction averaged $48,489, while those working in manufacturing averaged $46,419. Restaurants paid an average of $37,719, and the banking industry provided an average salary of $35,491.
  
  

Geography

• At an average of $46,601, California was the highest-paying state for those with a maximum of a high school diploma to live in. Other states where workers received high rates of pay were New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois.
  
  

Considerations

• The 2005 Current Population Survey by the Census Bureau also revealed that having a college degree nearly doubles your income.