The Deseret News analysis shows that every step of additional education or training usually brings higher wages. It could make a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars during a person's working years.

For example, at the bottom rung of the pay ladder, those Utah jobs that require no degree and less than one month of on-the-job training have an annual average wage of $23,318.

With a step up to jobs that require one to 12 months of on-the-job training, pay rises to an average $31,706. Pay for jobs requiring more than a year of on-the-job training (but no degree) rises to $36,396.

Those jobs requiring post-high school vocational training average a higher $36,844 a year. Jobs requiring an associate degree rise to an average $42,351.

A bachelor's degree brings jobs that have average annual salaries of $58,601. An exception to the general rule of more education bringing more money is that wages for jobs requiring a master's degree in Utah are $58,004, a bit lower than for those requiring bachelor's degrees.

Finally, a big jump in average pay comes for those with doctorate or professional degrees: $109,431. (See chart for a listing of highest/lowest paying jobs for each category of training and education. A list of salaries for all 614 occupations measured in the state study is available by clicking the graphic link at the top of this story.)

Langston said it is especially important for women to stay in school. "Many of the higher-paying jobs that do not require much school are things that women traditionally don't do as much, such as underground mining or construction. So for them, there is a bigger jump in average pay the more education they get."

Langston said any extra experience or education tends to unlock higher pay. "Some people put in the time in school, and some put it in on the job. Either way, it usually takes training to move up," she said. "The more training and the more adaptable you are even after school, the better. Willingness to learn new things is key."

Working on up

Tony Rizzuto, a career and academic adviser at Salt Lake Community College, sees people of all ages returning to school to try to qualify for higher-paying jobs. He said it can often be done with fewer years of schooling than many may think.

"I see a lot of people who come back who are in the 30-something (age) bracket, those who can't make it anymore at the jobs they have," he said. "We also see a lot in the 50-something bracket. Maybe they were laid off or just want to do something different."

Rizzuto said college career counseling offices can help such people