All the Marine 2nd Lts possessed at least Bachelors degree, some from prestigious schools - There was a Harvard educated lawyer in my company. Nearly all of them possessed the work ethic and capability to be an asset to any civilian company - Else they wouldn't have been there. I, along with a few others I knew of in my company, already possessed graduate degrees. Not bad for individuals who are 22, 23, or 24 years old, especially considering the average college student is taking at least five years to complete his/her degree now.
I wasn't complaining about the pay - I am very satisfied with what I make when BAH is included. However, I don't think its unreasonable to make the statement that taking home a little over $2k a month, when working 80+ hours a week, is not exactly stellar.