W.Va. doctoral degree holders earn $3,300 less than certificate holders - noteworthy News - West Virginia - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, Jan 30, 2003

CHARLESTON, W.VA.

A West Virginian holding a doctorate degree in 2001 earned an average of nearly $3,300 less per year than a resident with a certificate from a community college, according to figures released last month.

The state's recently published Higher Education Report Card found that residents with a certificate earned an average of $31,537 in 2001, while those with doctorates earned an average of $28,250.

Bachelor's degrees commanded the lowest average annual pay, $27,457, though that's an increase of about $2,300 over the average salary in 2000.

Those with associate's degrees earned an average of $28,431 in 2001. That's an average increase of $4,600 from the previous year.

"Many of the degrees earned at the associate's degree level are in the health and technology fields, which tend to have relatively high earnings," according to the report. Residents with master's degrees earned an average of $6,000 less than they did in 2000.

The study also found that 56 percent of West Virginians have gone to college, an increase from 49 percent in 1997. But just 13 percent of those who started community college in 1998 had earned a certificate or associate's degree by 2001.