Education Analysis
Education & Salary Analysis
How does education level affect federal pay? A breakdown of average salaries across 2.07M federal employees.
Average Salary by Education Level
| Education Level | Employees | Avg Salary | 25th %ile | Median | 75th %ile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Professional | 78.3K | $232,783 | $167,603 | $219,950 | $295,532 |
| Post-doctorate | 7.4K | $169,518 | $144,659 | $167,380 | $195,200 |
| Post-first Professional | 2.2K | $168,116 | $125,661 | $162,682 | $195,200 |
| Doctorate Degree | 80.7K | $156,771 | $128,619 | $156,755 | $184,363 |
| Sixth-year Degree | 1.2K | $155,046 | $124,599 | $156,755 | $185,234 |
| Post-sixth Year | 570 | $152,828 | $120,311 | $156,737 | $185,234 |
| Post-master's | 9.9K | $150,169 | $122,948 | $151,525 | $182,860 |
| Post-bachelor's | 20.1K | $135,660 | $103,850 | $133,688 | $166,236 |
| Master's Degree | 359.6K | $131,694 | $101,401 | $127,896 | $159,018 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 554.3K | $116,642 | $86,259 | $112,409 | $141,700 |
| Four Years College | 21.8K | $105,789 | $71,070 | $97,485 | $132,638 |
| Three Years College | 19.9K | $101,969 | $68,138 | $94,793 | $128,795 |
| Two Years College | 44.3K | $95,186 | $64,952 | $85,066 | $118,304 |
| Associate Degree | 130.5K | $92,297 | $64,885 | $87,016 | $111,657 |
| Some College - Less Than One Year | 61.8K | $90,304 | $61,111 | $79,370 | $111,989 |
| One Year College | 44.4K | $89,886 | $60,639 | $78,867 | $111,659 |
| High School Graduate or Certificate of Equivalency | 563.4K | $85,890 | $55,505 | $73,332 | $107,156 |
| Terminal Occupational Program - Did Not Complete | 6.8K | $80,579 | $59,018 | $71,571 | $92,939 |
| No Formal Education or Some Elementary School - Did Not Complete | 26.2K | $78,721 | $59,569 | $71,653 | $88,723 |
| Terminal Occupational Program - Certificate of Completion, Diploma or Equivalent | 29.9K | $75,656 | $57,685 | $68,896 | $83,289 |
| Some High School - Did Not Complete | 7.4K | $72,209 | $50,192 | $61,988 | $81,200 |
| No Data Reported | 941 | $66,728 | $41,839 | $49,358 | $67,014 |
| Elementary School Completed - No High School | 368 | $57,134 | $41,812 | $49,003 | $60,815 |
Does Education Pay Off?
Salary premium compared to a high school diploma ($85,890 avg). In the federal government, higher education consistently translates to higher pay — but the biggest jump comes from professional degrees (law, medicine) rather than PhDs.
Associate Degree
+7%
+$6,407/yr
Bachelor's Degree
+36%
+$30,752/yr
Master's Degree
+53%
+$45,804/yr
Doctorate Degree
+83%
+$70,881/yr
First Professional
+171%
+$146,893/yr
Key Takeaways
Federal pay is strongly correlated with education. A bachelor's degree holder earns $30,752 more per year than a high school graduate — a 36% premium. Master's degrees add another meaningful bump.
The highest-paid group is First Professional degree holders (JD, MD) at $232,783 average — largely driven by federal attorneys and physicians in the VA health system.
Interestingly, the doctorate-to-professional degree gap is significant: PhDs average $156,771 vs. $232,783 for professional degrees. This reflects the premium placed on legal and medical expertise in government service.
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