back to school

This is how much more Dallas workers earn with a graduate degree, study finds

Graduate degrees aren't in the cards for everyone.

One of the biggest decisions new college graduates face after earning their bachelor's is whether to continue their education with a graduate degree, or enter the professional world without one. The Education Data Initiative reports graduate degrees can cost between $30,000 and $120,000 after a bachelor's, so it's important to consider the financial benefits depending on an individual's chosen field of study.

In Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, graduate degree holders earn $16,859 more than they would with just a bachelor's degree, according to a new study by SmartAsset.

The average annual income of a Metroplex resident with a bachelor's degree is $65,694, the study says. Those with graduate degrees make $82,553 per year, SmartAsset says.

A graduate degree holder's salary in Dallas-Fort Worth is much higher than the national average of $72,000 per year. The study further determined that (nationally) a graduate degree nets workers $16,000 more per year than those with a bachelor's.

Those with advanced degrees from one Dallas graduate school do particularly well.

"Amid the high expenses of education and ever-changing job markets, it’s important to weigh the opportunity costs of a graduate degree with the additional earning potential," the study's author wrote. "A graduate or professional degree nets an extra $484,000 over a career, on average... This assumes a 30 year career in a medium or large metro area."

SmartAsset's study used 2021 U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year ACS S1501 data to determine the income for individuals aged 25 and older with varying professional degrees in 281 of the biggest metropolitan areas.

The Texas city where a graduate degree nets a resident the most amount of money is Midland, with a massive $24,394 difference between graduate degree and bachelor's holders. Average graduate degree pay in the West Texas city is $90,559 versus $66,165 for an individual with a bachelor's degree.

The metro that landed at the top of the national ranks is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California. A bachelor's degree holder makes an average salary of $102,214 in the area, whereas a graduate degree holder earns more than $48,000 more, totaling $150,281.

The full report and its methodology can be found on smartasset.com.

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Scooter News

Lime re-launches e-scooters in Plano for first time since 2018

Lime

Toodling along on the Lime e-scooter.

Lime scooters have come back to Plano: The company re-launched e-scooters in Plano, marking a return since their initial entry in 2018.

According to a release, Lime launched an initial fleet of up to 100 e-scooters over the weekend and is working with the city of Plano to scale its fleet up to 250 in an organized manner over time.

Riders in Plano will be able to access the e-scooters via the Lime app and on the Uber app platform thanks to Lime’s integration with Uber.

This follows Lime's relaunch of e-scooters earlier this year in Dallas. The company previously launched scooters in Plano in 2018.

“Lime is excited to partner with the city of Plano to provide residents and visitors with a safe, affordable, and sustainable way of getting around town. We have a proven track record of success in Texas and we’re thrilled to add Plano to our list of Lone Star State cities. Shared e-scooters help connect people to existing transportation options and provide an economic boost by connecting customers to small businesses. We look forward to bringing our global experience and stability to Plano as we work with the city to envision the future of transportation together,,” said David Sedbrook, Senior Director of Government Relations at Lime.

“Coming off a record year for Lime, we are proud to have achieved an acceleration in our strong performance in 2023” said Wayne Ting, CEO of Lime. “Riders around the world are demonstrating strong demand for low-cost, reliable and emissions-free transportation. We are encouraged that cities also recognize this as they continue to welcome and expand e-bike and e-scooter programs globally. Our year-over-year revenue growth and ability to operate profitably are strong signals for the long-term viability of Lime's business. This record first half is a strong endorsement of our investments in in-house hardware design, operational excellence and cultivating strong relationships with cities.”

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