Consider this: Of the estimated 1.4 million people living in the Baltimore-Towson metro area who are aged 25 and up, only 14.5% have a graduate or professional degree. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a way to distinguish yourself from other candidates and employees in this region, an MBA is the perfect solution.

If you’re thinking about getting your MBA, here are just a few of the ways that it can help you earn more money:

• It makes you more attractive to potential employers – Employers often have to sort through hundreds of resumes when hiring for a single position. With such a unique qualification on your resume, yours will jump out in that stack and make them give you a second look.

• It is associated with an increase in salary – According to a study done by the U.S. Census Bureau, of all advanced educational degrees, the MBA or professional degree provides the largest increase in salary. In fact, full-time, year-round workers who hold professional degrees earn an average of $109,600. That’s about $47,300 more per year than those with a master’s degree, and $57,400 more than the average worker with a BA/BS.

• It can also expand your prospects within your current company – Just as companies require certain qualifications for new employees, they may hold current ones to the same standard. If you want to move up to a management or other upper level job within the company, an MBA can give you a leg up. It not only gives you what you need on paper, but it also shows your employer that you have the drive and skills to perform at these higher levels.

• It makes you more efficient – The focus of an MBA is to provide you with highly advantageous insight into the business world. Using the knowledge you gain in the program, you’ll be able to improve your effectiveness in the workplace, allowing you to get more work done with less time or effort. In other words, you’ll work smarter, not harder.

• It opens new opportunities – Unlike the general population at a college, MBA students are generally like-minded in that they are business-oriented. Simply by attending classes, you’ll build a network of friends and acquaintances that can help you along the road to success. Whether it’s by enlightening you to unadvertised job openings at their current company or providing a reference to a potential employer, these fellow students can become lifelong assets and friends.

Whether you’re about to graduate from a Maryland college – or one in any other state for that matter – or you’ve been in business for years, enrolling in a Baltimore MBA program can give you the tools you need to be successful in your career, both now and down the line.