Educational Attainment and Wage Growth in New England: Evidence from Four Decades of Administrative Wage Records

Annie Liu and Pinghui Wu

No 26-1, New England Public Policy Center Research Report from Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

Abstract: Per capita personal income in New England grew from $10,731 to $87,655 during the 1980–2024 period. This increase, the largest among all US census divisions, coincided with significant growth in educational attainment in the region. As of 2024, 53 percent of New England workers aged 25 to 64 held at least a bachelor’s degree, and 23 percent possessed advanced degrees, compared with national averages of 44 percent and 17 percent, respectively. This study provides new insights into the relationship between educational attainment and income growth in New England, examining both individual earnings and broader regional trajectories.

Keywords: New England; wage growth; educational attainment; career progression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I21 I26 J31 R10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 25
Date: 2026-01-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-lma
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