subject. As Jordan Peterson has pointed out, conscientiousness (hard work/perseverance) is the primary trait for success. Those with this will naturally finish their degrees at a higher rate and will have higher salaries, not primarily because of their education but because of their conscientiousness. In hiring I use degrees as a measurement for being able to see something through. It's not definitive of course, but it's a decent point of reference. While early opportunities help raise your ceiling on earnings, even the poorest of kids can be very successful and earn very good wages if they have this conscientiousness.