educational levels

• see a list of qualification levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• use the Register of Regulated Qualifications – if you know the name of the qualification and the exam board that runs it
• compare qualification levels from other countries

Most qualifications have a difficulty level. The higher the level, the more difficult the qualification is.

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Generally speaking, jobs that require high levels of education and skill pay higher wages than jobs that require few skills and little education. Statistics from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) validate this viewpoint by revealing that the unemployment rate among people who have a professional degree is significantly lower than that of people who have a high school diploma or less than a complete high school education. In addition, earnings increase significantly as a worker’s degree of education rises.
Equal Pay and Compensation Discrimination – Equal pay provisions prohibit sex-based wage differentials between men and women employed in the same establishment who perform jobs requiring equal effort, skill, and responsibility. These provisions are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

References:

http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/educational-attainment/
http://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/educational
http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/international/transitions/from-american-schools-to-british