by Eve Lopez

Created on: July 18, 2009   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

The benefits of staying in high school and receiving a high school diploma are numerous. First and foremost, almost all employers require at least a high school diploma in order to gain employment. There are very few jobs that do not require high school diplomas. People without high school diplomas are generally forced to take minimum-wage jobs that do not lead to advancement and barely pay enough to make ends meet. Many minimum-wage workers are forced to take two jobs just to be able to pay the basics of rent, food and clothing.

Here are some statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau:

1. People without a high school diploma earn an average of $20,873 annually.

2. That figure jumps dramatically with a high school diploma: High school graduates earn $31,071.

3. An American is not eligible for Social Security benefits until he or she reaches the age of 62.

4. That means an American who starts work at age 18 without a high school diploma will be missing out on at least $440,000 in his or her lifetime. This is the bare minimum: Wages increase with time.

Many times, a teenager may think, "Well, I can always finish high school later." Most people who drop out do not go back to school. It's much harder to get a GED when you're already out in the workforce, trying to make ends meet.

Teens who are thinking of dropping out should also think about this: in many parts of the world, kids do not have access to education. There are people who are out there who'd kill to have a free education. In the United States, every child over the age of 6 must have an education. There's a reason for that: without education, there is just no future for people. The government recognizes this, and that is why not only are taxpayers paying for a child's right and responsibility to finish high school, but they also foot the bills for public colleges and universities.

Doors simply do not open to people without high school diplomas. A high school diploma earns students respect and opportunities. The only way to guarantee a half-way decent paying job is to finish school. A person who is thinking of quitting high school may think of it this way: just sticking it out until graduation means an increase in approximately $10,000 per year in wages. Life without a high school diploma is not a life that any teenager is prepared for.

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