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Upon graduating high school, many people ask the question “do I really need a college degree?” Those who think the answer is “no,” step right into the work force and get busy with life. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but it puts these people at a huge disadvantage for earning potential over the course of their professional lives.

According to the US Census Bureau, a person with only a high school education can expect to make an average of $34,000 a year. That sounds like a lot of money when you are young, but try having a mortgage, car payments, and raising children on such a salary. The more education you get, the higher your average earning potential. Those who spend two years getting an Associate’s degree can expect to make $46,000 a year. Those who spend four (sometimes five or more) years getting a Bachelor’s degree can expect to make $65,000 a year. Is education starting to sound like a better option? It even gets better. Those who go beyond the Bachelor’s degree to get a Master’s degree can earn an average of $83,000 a year. For the truly elite who stick it out to get a Doctorate or other post graduate degree, the average salary jumps to $103,000. Not too shabby, eh?

Of course, these are averages. Depending on your field of study and the job that you accept after graduation, your salary might be higher or lower than the average. However, the simple truth remains that those with college degrees will most definitely earn higher salaries than those who only graduated high school.

How much more money are we talking about? If a high school education gets you $34,000 a year and a Bachelor’s degree is worth $65,000 a year, there is an annual difference of $31,000. That is a lot of money for one year. Over 30 years, the difference is even bigger. The high school education is worth $1,020,000, while the Bachelor’s degree is worth $1,950,000. That is a big gap over a lifetime. Taking it further, a Master’s degree is worth $2,490,000 over 30 years. Won’t that give you a better, more comfortable life than giving up on school right after high school?

Not everybody is suited to graduate level education, so it is not realistic to expect everybody to get a Master’s degree. But, most of us are perfectly capable of getting a Bachelor’s degree in a field that we are interested in as long as we are willing to put in the work. Without a doubt, the work is worth the effort. The benefits of a college degree start with salary, but also include having a larger selection of available jobs, education that puts you above the competition, and giving you an opportunity to advance as you gain work experience.

Many options are available for obtaining a college degree. You can go to a traditional college or you can learn online. No matter what you do, the sacrifices you make now will be worth the rewards they bring in the future.