Commissioned by the American Diploma Project (ADP), Educational Testing Service (ETS) researchers Anthony P. Carnevale and Donna M. Desrochers used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS) to define the relationship between education, employment and earnings.

We chose to focus the ADP effort on the occupations listed in the top two tiers of the employment pyramid shown here, for these are the jobs that pay enough to support a family well above the poverty level, provide benefits, and offer clear pathways for career advancement through further education and training. These two tiers also represent 62 percent of all jobs over the next 10 years.

Highly Paid Professional Jobs
Earnings: $40,000+
Projected Job Growth Rate: 20%

Well-Paid, Skilled Jobs
Earnings: $25,000–$40,000
Projected Job Growth Rate: 12%

Low-Paid or Low-Skilled Jobs
Earnings: Less than $25,000
Projected Job Growth Rate: 15%