A number of studies have documented a
strong relationship between greater educational attainment and
higher overall earnings. Furthermore, this relationship has
persisted across gender and race/ethnicity. In addition to financial
benefits, individuals with higher educational achievements generally
experience lower levels of unemployment, lower rates of poverty,
lower rates of tobacco use and are at less risk of becoming a victim
of property crime (SAMHSA, 2002, Bureau of Justice Statistics,
2009).
How are we doing?
According to the 2006-08 American
Community Surveys, approximately 88% of Pinellas County’s population
25 years and over has a high school diploma or better. This
percentage is above the average for the U.S., Florida and other
Florida counties that are comparable in size to Pinellas.
When viewed by race, more than one-fifth of Pinellas’ minority
population (black and non-white Hispanic) age 25 and over had
less than a high school diploma, more than twice as high as
white non-Hispanics.
The percentage of high school graduates for Pinellas’
minority population is similar to that of white non-Hispanics.
However, the proportion of minorities achieving a bachelor’s
degree or higher lags behind white non-Hispanics.
Median Annual Earnings Comparison
A major benefit of higher educational
attainment is the potential for greater overall earnings. The
following graphic shows the median annual earnings of all U.S.
workers 25 years and older by educational attainment during the
2006-08 period. Individuals who did not graduate high school earned
42% below the overall median annual average of $34,423. Individuals
with a bachelor’s degree earned 2.4 times the annual average of
individuals with less than a high school diploma.
Median
Annual Earnings of U.S. Workers 25 Years & Older
by Educational Attainment: 2006-08 Average
Poverty and Educational Attainment
Failure to graduate high school is likely
to have a profound impact on the probability that an individual will
experience some form of poverty during their lifetime. As shown in
the chart below, individuals who do not graduate high school have
twice the poverty rate of individuals who graduated high school and
almost six times the poverty rate of those who receive a bachelor’s
degree.
Citations: Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization
Survey (2009). Criminal Victimization 2008. United States
Department of Justice: Washington, D.C.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health,
Office of Applied Studies. (2002). National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse: Tobacco Use, Income and Educational Level.
United States Department of Health and Human Services:
Washington, D.C.
