A small amount of education can go a long way toward improving your earnings potential, especially if you’re a man, according to a new study.

The study from Georgetown University found that certificates in fields like computer and information services, transportation and business can boost earnings by 20 percent, on average, over people who just have high school diplomas.

That’s not the result researchers were expecting when they started delving into the little-researched world of certificates, which are generally offered by for-profit institutions and community colleges in specific fields and trades.

The researchers found that, on average, people with a certificate earn $34,946 a year, compared with $29,202 for those with just a high school degree. The results were based on an analysis of four different government data sets looking at earnings, education and other factors.

The data offered one major caveat: They offered a much bigger advantage in male-dominated fields than in female-dominated fields. 

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