Your parents nagged you about the importance of getting an education. Well, guess what? They were right. The difference in lifetime earnings between a typical high school graduate and a typical college grad with a bachelor's degree is staggering. Over a 40-year career, a worker with a bachelor's will earn $1 million more than a worker with just a high school diploma -- $2.42 million versus $1.37 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. A master's degree bumps up that figure to $2.83 million.