After you graduate...

In one of my classes the other day we had a guest lecturer who preceded to tell us that if we are not making $100,000+ five years after graduating from our master's program then we have wasted our money on school. Not only did he make this remark to my fellow graduate students and I, but also exclaimed that he makes the same remarks to his undergraduate students.

Hearing his statement really made me think. With respect to undergraduate students, earning six figure salaries 5 years post graduation is an extremely lofty goal given the number of college graduates vying for employment and the state of our nation's economy. But what about graduate students.  I did a little research on jobs secured by people with Masters Degrees and the median salary by those jobs. On PayScale.com they have several tables and charts to illustrate median salaries.

So what do you think, should an individual be earning a six-figure salary 5 years post earning their graduate level degree? How viable is it to have that earning power?

--Krystal

People with Masters Degrees (non-MBA)

Median Salary by Job

Job National Salary Data (?) $0 $24K $48K $72K Senior Pastor $58,555 Pastor $53,513 Human Resources (HR) Manager $50,533 Program Manager, Non-Profit Organization $52,038 Instructional Designer $70,142 Executive Assistant $43,025 Elementary School Teacher $36,431 Country: United States | Currency: USD | Updated: 6 May 2013 | Individuals Reporting: 361

Key Statistics for People with Masters Degrees (non-MBA) Salaries and Jobs

Top Degrees

Salary Range

Master of Business Administration (MBA)	$57,965 - $81,389
Master of Education (MEd)	$33,899 - $47,932
Master of Divinity (MDiv), Pastoral Ministry	$49,910 - $87,600
Master of Divinity (MDiv), Theology	$63,465 - $108,500
Master of Arts (MA), English Language	$43,500 - $52,000

Years of Experience

Less than 1 year 2% 1-4 years 28% 5-9 years 28% 10-19 years 28% 20 years or more 15%