Colorado Technical University

How much doy you get paid with a masters or doctoral degree opposed to a bachelors?

I have my bachelors degree (in engineering) and I'm going to start to look for jobs but I want to go for my masters maybe even my doctoral after that but I need to know how much more I would get paid if I have one of those?

Public Comments

1. In the field of engineering, experience is valued much more than education. I don't think it would be worth your time to get a graduate degree. maybe a bachelor's is worth 50k, while a master's is worth 70k. or something like that. but salary would depend a lot more on experience than degrees. A master's degree with no experience isn't going to make 70k. Unless you want to become a university professor of engineering, getting a doctorate degree would be a waste of time.
2. Starting salaries probably wouldn't differ much if you go straight on for a master's or doctorate; the advantage is that in the long run, you are likely to make it farther and have more responsibility (which usually means higher pay as well). Don't expect an immediate financial payback, and you may find that you end up with a more interesting and rewarding career.
3. There are plenty of high school drop outs who earn more money than college grads at any level. That's not to say that going to college is a bad thing. But, earning degrees is no guarantee of future income potential. Although, it is generally proven to be more beneficial compared to a high school diploma.