In a study conducted in 2011 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, of American Adults Age 25 and over (Full-Time Workers), it was found that median annual earnings and degree of education are directly correlated.  http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/dPg.cfm?pageID=948  Its clear by looking at the graph that, as the degree of education goes up, so does the median annual earnings. This linear relationship bares a striking resemblance to the H-R Diagram, which is the diagram used in astronomy to predict the heat of a star versus its luminosity. As stars get older, they get hotter but dimmer, so there is a “main sequence”. However there are distinct outliers, such as Red Super Giants that get very cold and incredibly luminous, or White Dwarfs, which get very dim but extremely hot.

The earnings versus education diagram has a similar path. When people become more educated, they tend to earn more. This is the “main sequence” of the diagram. However there are people who never attain high levels of education, yet earn as much, if not more, than the most educated people in the country. This represents The White Dwarfs, if we relate Temperature to Median Earnings and Luminosity to Education. This would mean that people with high levels of education but low earnings represent the White Dwarfs. So in many ways, the H-R Diagram and the Education versus Earnings Diagram share a similar pattern.