The Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce has created the Good Jobs Project to help people discover well-paying jobs that don’t require a B.A. degree. If you’re looking for a place to relocate or interested in state specific details, the project’s website offers insight into the states with the most opportunities.
A partnership between the university and JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Good Jobs Project includes an initial report, a state-by-state analysis released November 13 and an interactive tool to help those interested explore the 30 million good jobs across the U.S. that don’t require a B.A.
Good jobs without a B.A. are plentiful is a variety of fields
The original report, Good Jobs That Pay Without a B.A. highlights the facts that:
- There are 30 million good jobs nationwide that do not require a B.A.
- These jobs pay a minimum of $35,000 and an average of $55,000 per year.
- In fact, 20% pay between $35,000 and $45,000, 27% between $45,000 and $55,000, and 53% more than $55,000.
- Although blue-collar work still makes up 55% of the total number, good jobs that pay are growing rapidly in skilled service industries such as information technology, finance, healthcare, and leisure and hospitality.
- In more and more cases, a high school diploma is no longer enough. Many blue-collar and skilled services good jobs require an A.A. degree.
- The states that offer the most good jobs without a B.A. are California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois.
- Well-paying blue-collar jobs are still strong in manufacturing, utilities and transportation.
State-by-State analysis report offers in-depth data for comparison
In the Good Jobs Project’s State-by-State Analysis report, you will learn that:
- 23 states have seen an increase in blue-collar jobs, thanks to construction and non-manufacturing industries.
- Some states still offer strong employment opportunities for those with just a high school education – West Virginia and Delaware rank at the top of this list.
- Just about half of all states added good jobs for workers without B.A.s between 1991 and 2015.
- Nine of these states have seen the greatest increase – 50% or more – in good jobs without a B.A. between 1991 and 2015. These states are Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota.
- While workers without B.A.s hold 45% of all good jobs nationally, in some states that percentage is much higher: 62% in Wyoming, 61% in Mississippi, 57% in Nevada, and 56% in Wyoming and Oregon, for example.
The State-by-State analysis report includes a profile of each state that covers the earning statistics for non-B.A. good job holders, the change in the number of non-B.A. good jobs between 1992 and 2015, and the top five industries and occupations for non-B.A. good jobs.
For more information about jobs that don’t require a B.A., click here.
