1. Understand the value of an education. Secondary and post-secondary education is the surest way to set yourself on the path to wealth. A recent study found that young adults with a bachelor's degree earned $ 17,500 more annually than young adults with a high school diploma, and those with some college training earned $ 3,000 more than those with only a high school diploma. 

The study also found that salaries for individuals with only a high school diploma fell over time.

Research also shows that the unemployment rate for people with a high school diploma is much higher than for people with a post-secondary diploma.



2. Consider increasing your education. As education increases, so do salaries, and therefore one of the best ways to increase your income is to increase your education. The journey to wealth can begin by choosing to increase your level of education.

For example, the average salary for an associate's degree is $ 50,000, a bachelor's degree is $ 64,000, a master's degree is $ 81,000, and a professional degree is $ 115,000




3. Examine your skills, abilities, interests, and talents. Whether you have little education and want to upgrade, or already have education and want to choose a more lucrative career path, it always begins with examining yourself.

Linking your natural abilities and interests with an in-demand education is a very certain way to increase your income substantially and get yourself on a path to wealth. Ask yourself what your talents are. Consider the things you do better than other people, or that you are frequently complimented on.

Ask yourself what you are passionate about, or interested in. For example, maybe a particular subject interests you, like mathematics, or a particular activity, like cooking.

Look for areas of overlap between your talents, and your interests. For example, maybe you are interested in the human body, and also are good at math or science. These interests can complement each other.




4. Choose an educational path with good earning potential. For better or worse, some fields simply pay more than others, and are in higher demand. The best situation is to have one of these higher-paying fields or occupations match your skills and interests. If not, consider exploring these fields anyways to see if you can develop an interest

Currently some of the best paying university undergraduate majors are engineering, computer science and business/economics. These majors all lead to average salaries above $75,000 per year.

If you already have a university degree and want to pursue further education, careers like law, medicine or dentistry can produce salaries well over $100,000 per year.

Make sure to consider skilled trades as well for a career. If you are a more "hands-on" person, there is considerable money that can be made in learning a skilled trade. Plumbers and HVAC technicians can earn over $50,000 per year, and the earning potential is unlimited if you start your own business.

Before you choose an educational path, research what the job prospects are currently and when you will enter the field, and what the average salary is. Remember, a popular field today may be saturated in 5 to 10 years.This will help you make sure you can get a return on your investment.




5. Fund your education. Unfortunately, educating yourself costs money, but if you choose a wise major, you are very likely to earn your investment back, plus much more.

Consider spending a year or two before you start school to save some money. This will reduce the amount you need to borrow, which means you will have smaller loan repayments when you are done.

Choose your base of operations wisely. Unless you very much enjoy living in a big city or have family/other obligations, choose a less expensive area in which to live and go to school. Choosing a smaller city can lead to thousands in saved living expenses.

Apply for federal student loans to fund your education. These loans often have lower interest rates than bank loans, the interest rates are often fixed, and you do not need to repay until you are done with school




 6. Never stop developing yourself. Increase your professional skills, leadership skills, financial skills, social skills and general life skills. Making––and keeping–– yourself valuable will increase your chances on whatever path you take. Continuous self-development will enable you to make better use of your financial assets.

Adding to your education constantly means adding to your earning potential. Every new thing you learn increases your ability to earn.