If there’s one thing all Americans have in common, it’s the fact we all spend money.
That being said, we certainly don’t spend our money on the same things. One of the key indicators of how people spend their money is their level of education. A study by Visual Capitalist used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a report on how spending habits vary by education level.
The study was broken down by four demographics: less than high school, high school, bachelor’s degree, and masters degree. In the first group, those with less than a high school diploma, the average household income was $17,979, plus another $7,503 from social security. Of this money, 98.5% is spent, with 23.5% of the total going to housing, 12.3% going to food at home, and gas and insurance combined made up 8.2%.
Those with a high school education bring in about $29,330, with another $9,008 coming in from social security. This group saves some money, as they typically spend 87.3% of their income. Housing takes up 21.7% of their income, with insurance taking up 10%. Vehicles also eat up another 7%, but in the end high school graduates typically save about $3,113 per year.
American households that have at least one person with a bachelor’s degree bring home approximately $81,629 per year, with another $11,000 from social security. Only about 68.6% of this income gets spent, with 22.4% going to housing, and 7.9% going to household expenses. 16.6% of the household’s total income typically makes it to savings accounts.
Lastly, households of the highest educational composition bring in an average of $116,018 per year, with another $17,000 coming from social security. Of this, 62.9% is spend and 17.3% makes it into savings accounts. As is always the case, housing is the largest single expense at 23.2%. Household expenses comprise 8.4% of expenses in this group, with gas and insurance taking up 7.2%.
