User Guide

About the Tool

Compare Postsecondary Earnings to Local Living Wage Benchmarks Across Metro Areas

The Living Wage vs. Postsecondary quGraduate Earnings Dashboard is an interactive tool that compares the median annualized earnings of postsecondary graduates with the living wage across metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States.

By examining the gap between expected earnings and local cost-of-living thresholds, the tool helps users evaluate the economic viability of post-graduation outcomes in specific geographic regions. Users can select a state to view metro areas within it, with each row in the table showing both the nominal earnings difference and percentage variance relate to the local living wage.

Intended Audience

This tool is intended to serve a broad range of stakeholders, including:

• Policy Makers and State Officials: Identify regional disparities and support workforce or education planning.

• Institutional Leaders: Understand how postsecondary graduates’ earnings compare to local cost-of-living realities.

• Prospective Students and Families: Make informed decisions about where to study and what financial outcomes to expect in different cities.

Key Questions the Tool Can Help Answer

• Do graduates typically earn enough to meet or exceed the living wage in different metro areas?
• How does the earnings gap vary across cities for a specific family configuration?
• In which metropolitan areas do graduate earnings fall short of or exceed the local cost of living?
• What percentage above or below the living wage to median earnings sit in a given metro area?

Support

For questions about this tool or assistance using it, please contact the PSEO Project Student Intern Supervisor, at internsupervisor@pseocoalition.org.