ERIC Number: ED594951
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep-26
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2291-0840
EISSN: N/A
Results from the 2016 Census: Is Field of Study a Factor in the Payoff of a Graduate Degree? Insights on Canadian Society
Wall, Katherine; Zhao, John; Ferguson, Sarah-Jane; Rodriguez, Carlos
Statistics Canada
More and more Canadians are pursuing graduate studies, often to increase their chances of getting a better-paying job. Using data from the 2016 Census, this study examines the extent to which median earnings of workers with a master's degree or doctorate differ from their counterparts with a bachelor's degree, focusing on differences across fields of study. The target population includes paid employees aged 30 to 59 who worked full year and full time during the year preceding the census, and whose highest educational qualification was obtained in Canada. Findings include: (1) Among Canadians working full year and full time who had a master's degree, business and related studies was the most common field of study, accounting for one-quarter (25%) of master's degrees. The next most common fields were education and teaching (13%), and social and behavioural sciences (11%); (2) In contrast, more than one-half (58%) of earned doctorates were in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. More than one-third were in the science and science technology STEM fields; (3) In non-STEM (BHASE) fields, men and women with a master's degree earned 17% and 14% more, respectively, than their counterparts with a bachelor's degree. In most cases, these higher earnings were associated with their having a different occupational profile than those with a bachelor's degree; (4) For both men and women, the earnings of those with a master's degree in STEM differed little from their counterparts with a bachelor's degree, largely because of fewer differences in their occupational profiles; and (5) Within specific fields of study, the largest differences in earnings were seen in business and related studies. In this field, men and women with a master's degree earned 27% and 28% more, respectively, than those with a bachelor's degree.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Census Figures, College Students, Majors (Students), Bachelors Degrees, Masters Degrees, College Graduates, College Outcomes Assessment, Employment Potential, Income, Occupations, Business Administration Education, Teaching (Occupation), Career Choice, STEM Education, Science Careers, Humanities, Computer Science
Statistics Canada. 150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6, Canada. Tel: 800-307-3382; Fax: 613-951-4441; e-mail: educationstats@statcan.gc.ca; Web site: http://www.statcan.gc.ca
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Statistics Canada
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A