Is it worth getting a Bachelor Degree to earn $11-$18 an hour (Today's Job Market going pay rate)?

I was looking over the local Job Opps. & see a trend in salaries.
Most jobs descriptions I find challenging are requiring a BA & are only offering $11-$18.00 an hour. (No joke! parts of the U.S. this is a standard.)

How is it employers' can set this criteria and expect to get an A candidate?

I more than realize the job market is competitive! (on avg., 400 applicants may apply for a job) but, I believe this 'standard' is also more than taking advantage of the Educated Citizen offering such unreasonable starting salaries. (no joking!)

Ozwalt

IMHO, if your primary goal is earning a good living, find a good vo-tech school and get trained in an area that potential customers "can't" live without. For example, auto mechanics, HVAC, etc. A buddy of mine from high school dropped out as a senior, regretted the decision a year later, went to Job Corps, and got trained as a crane operator. His first job paid almost $80 per hour, and he loved the work. At the same time, I was a starving college Junior, and 20+ years later, I've finally paid off my student loans and have NEVER earned the money he was earning at 20 years old.

That said, there are plenty of BS/BA degrees that pay well right out of the box if you earn good grades, but they're mostly in tech fields -- i.e. software development, computer engineering, etc. AND, there are plenty of career choices that people go into simply because it's their calling. For example, getting a Bachelor's in early childhood development to earn $12 per hour at a pre-school is not good business sense, but may still be the right choice for some.

And THAT said, most people I know in the 30's and older are no longer working in their original degree-related career field (myself included).

Andrew

The current generation of college students are the first to need a good bachelor's degree, instead of a stupid one. Communications, Poli Sci, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Ethnic Studies, etc. will only get you a $10/hr job, if you can get any at all. It is no longer enough to simply have any old degree as a receipt and then get trained on the job.

The answer to your question is yes, you still need a college degree. Total earnings over lifetime for college graduates are 30%-40% higher than for people with some college but no degree. But if you are looking for immediate earning power, you need a strong degree, preferably a B.S. For example, entry level ChemEs still make $50K ($25/hr) in my home market (Philadelphia).

Judy

If without the degree you'd get 7.25-10 an hour and even at that have trouble finding a job, then yes it's probably worth it. And if you're looking at entry level salaries, you have to look down the road at your potential earnings once you have some experience.

The A+ candidates often get a lot more than that. It depends on the job, and on what your degree is in. A BA in history, with a 3. GPA, will get you a lot less than a BA in engineering with a 3.9

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