I will concede to you that the income data supports your position but it fails to tell the entire story.

Those who have made the effort to accomplish a four year degree have the self determination and drive to be a higher achiever than most but it dose not mean that the same education is responsible for the increased income. In fact the majority of self-made millionaires and small business owners have a high school education or less. Of my college friends the most the well off returned to technical labor jobs after failing at their intended fantasy college profession and are now doing very well. The statistics would say that since they are college educated they owe their success to the degree when in fact that is not the case. They owe it to the drive to rise to a higher station in life. A college education set them back by 4 years and nearly 100K.

I believe that college handicaps one for success in life. Most leave after wasting years developing skills like excessive alcohol consumption and copulation with strangers. Success in college ill prepares one for success in the real world. I saw a documentary last month that professed the same ideas. The premise was that the over education of America has lead to a glut of college educated invalids who, in order to save face, will accept an interesting sounding job at a discounted income.

In summary; pay and benifits are going up for someone who knows how to replace a toilet and is decreasing for highly trained professionals like airline pilots.

When we began this discussion it was in regards to careers in aviation. The data you presented was in relation to those with real jobs. A pilot career wouldn't even register on that scale. Given that condition I am sure that your findings will match mine.



SkyHigh