Data collected via a 1973-74 mail survey of 1965 and 1966 rural Washington high school graduates were used to analyze the relationship between education, location of work, occupation, and earnings of young adults (24-27 years of age). Respondents (524) males and 535 females) were asked to supply information on their educational background (pre- and post-graduation), their family background (place of residence), and their current occupations (location and salary). Occupation types found in the sample were compared with those of a national group derived from the 1970 Census of Population. Results indicated that: (1) education was an important factor associated with preparation for work, especially in areas of vocational and scientific training; (2) more than one-half the sample continued education after high school; (3) about four-fifths of the men and two-thirds of the women were employed in nonmetropolitan areas; (4) two-fifths of the men and three-fifths of the women were employed in small or large cities; (5) over one-half of the men held jobs in the professional, craftsmen, and operative categories, while 80 percent of the women were employed as professional and clerical workers; (6) when compared with the Census group, a higher proportion of the Washington adults were in professional occupations; and (7) earnings in small cities and towns were comparable to those of urban areas. (JC)