The tables illustrate the difference between salaries for graduates and non-graduates in the UK from 2000 to 2010.
Overall, it is clear that graduates consistently earned higher than non-graduates across all age groups during the period. Salaries in both groups generally increased with ages until middle age, after which they tended to decline.
Looking at the first table, the average salary for graduates across all age groups earned $20.900, while the figure for non-graduates was significantly lower, at only $17.800. This shows a notable income gap between the two groups.
The remaining table breaks down salaries by age groups. By the age of 22, the graduates earned $15.800, just slightly more than non-graduates, who received $14.500. However, the difference widened substantially as age increased. People in their 32 and 42 earned $31.500 and $32.8000, respectively. While the figure for non-graduates in both groups stood stable at $19.100. A similar pattern continued at 52 age group, where graduates continued to rise their salary to $33.900, while the non-graduates showed an opposite trend, declining to $18.200.
Interestingly, at the age of 62, the average salary for both groups decreased. Graduates earned $23.100, whereas non-graduates were paid only $15.300, maintaining an income gap.