Top Jobs That Require a College Degree

A college degree certifies that you have passed the courses in your chosen field, which can tell employers that you have the adequate background knowledge to perform a job’s basic duties.

Here is an overview of the four main types of college degrees:

1. Associate Degree

Associate degrees typically require a two-year commitment for a full-time student enrolled at a community college, technical school, or other institution. The goal of this 60-credit program is to prepare you for a wide range of technical and entry-level positions.

2. Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s or baccalaureate degree is an undergraduate degree from an accredited academic institution. Students are expected to earn roughly 120 credits, which can take four to six years to complete. Bachelor’s degrees show that you have completed studies for a specific major.

3. Master’s Degree

A master’s degree takes you a step further in a specialized subject. This advanced degree requires you to complete another 30 to 60 credits, which often adds another year or two of study. Many leadership positions require a master’s degree as a minimum qualification for employment.

4. Doctoral Degree

The doctorate is the highest level of academic mastery you can achieve in many fields, and it demands enormous commitment. It can take anywhere from three to seven years beyond your bachelor’s or master’s degree to acquire this level of education. With a doctoral degree, you can work at the most senior level of your profession.

Learn more: Do you have a college degree? Find out what you’re worth with a free, personalized salary estimate from Glassdoor.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that health care is one of the fastest-growing industries. These occupational groups are expected to account for about one-third of all new jobs through 2022.

Your health care-related degree can land you many positions, such as:

Associate Degree: Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational therapy assistant is a leading health care support job with a starting annual salary near $60,000. In this role, you will help patients recover from illness or injury.

Bachelor’s Degree: Nurse

With an average annual salary of $70,000 per year, a nursing career can be quite lucrative. Nurses are in high demand, too, and they have many duties, including caring for patients and communicating with doctors.

Bachelor’s Degree: Biomedical Engineer

Merge medical and biological sciences as a biomedical engineer. You’ll design new devices, equipment, and systems used to treat patients. The median salary for these degreed engineers is $87,000.

Master’s Degree: Physician Assistant

Physician assistants perform much of the routine work that was once reserved for doctors, like family checkups. These medical professionals earn up to $100,000 per year working in hospitals, physician’s offices, and clinics.

Doctorate Degree: Hospital Administrator

When you hear the word “doctorate,” a physician may come to mind. However, this degree opens up many additional occupations in health care. Hospital administrators typically receive an average annual salary of $92,000, making it a popular career choice for those who hold a doctoral degree.

Information technology (IT) is another booming industry with various job opportunities for students and degreed adults looking to make a career change.

IT careers include many excellent options for college graduates, including:

Associate Degree: Network Systems Administrator

Kick-off your IT career as a network administrator. You’ll be responsible for installing software, upgrading hardware, and troubleshooting computer issues. Companies like Apple rely on computer networks to keep their businesses running and pay an average annual salary of $113,000.

Bachelor’s Degree: Computer Hardware Engineers

With your degree in computer engineering or something similar, you can land a top-paying job as a hardware engineer. Your responsibilities encompass research, design, and testing new computer systems. Your compensation could be around $115,000 per year.

Bachelor’s Degree: Software Developer

Another up-and-coming job in IT is that of software developer. Your job would be to design programs that companies use to run their businesses more efficiently. The average base pay for a software developer is just over $70,000.

Master’s Degree: Chief Information Officer

A master’s degree in IT can be a pivotal step to career advancement, and with a desirable median annual salary of $158,000, the position of chief information officer is an attractive one to many graduates. A person in this role makes all of a company’s large-scale IT decisions, such as maintaining and upgrading information systems for its technology programs.

Many different careers in finance require advanced education. Jobs run from entry-level clerical positions to high-profile posts with prominent corporations.

Here are a handful of finance careers for college graduates:

Associate Degree: Bookkeeper

Many bookkeepers start their careers earning $40,000 or more. Entry-level bookkeeper positions often require only a college degree and no related experience. To fulfill these roles, you will enter data and report on numerous financial transactions for your employer.

Bachelor’s Degree: Financial Planner

Financial planner is one of those coveted jobs that require degrees. In this profession, you’ll help clients reach their economic goals by developing strategies for saving and investing. You can earn over $60,000 a year with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Bachelor’s Degree: Public Accountant

Another career opportunity for a finance major is public accounting. With this job, you’ll audit financial transactions and prepare income tax returns for individuals and businesses. A public accountant that works with a firm has the potential to earn $65,000 a year.

Master’s Degree: Venture Capitalist

Put your master’s in finance to work as a venture capitalist and see a potential annual salary of $90,000. In this career field, you’ll find ways to finance a startup enterprise or help small companies expand their operations and access new funding sources.

Doctoral Degree: Chief Financial Officer

If you hold a doctorate in finance, you can secure a position as a chief financial officer (CFO), where you’ll be responsible for developing a strategy to grow and maintain a company’s profits. Many CFOs who hold a doctorate make an annual salary of $125,000 or more.

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Hospitality is a great industry in which to apply your academic achievements. This industry generates a large number of  jobs that require a college degree, including:

Associate Degree: Travel Agent

If you enjoy traveling, use your associate degree to work as a travel agent. You’ll help customers plan trips, from finding hotels to booking activities. Experienced travel agents earn an average income of $44,000.

Associate Degree: Hotel Manager

Plan to invest in a two-year program if you want to manage a hotel. Associate degree programs in the industry teach students all the fundamentals. Depending on the property you manage, you can earn between $50,000 and $120,000 a year.

Bachelor’s Degree: Event Coordinator

To work as an event planner, you’ll want a four-year degree in hospitality management. People in this specialized role are responsible for organizing and coordinating meetings and events. This job pays up to $80,000 annually on average.

Bachelor’s Degree: Executive Chef

A degree can sometimes launch your culinary career faster than working your way up the ranks. Aspiring chefs can pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree and come out with an earning potential of $70,000.

Advanced business training opens up a vast number of opportunities, including these jobs that require college degrees:

Associate Degree: Account Manager

Account managers focus on building and maintaining relationships with clients. You’ll likely find that this role is a blend of sales and customer service work. The annual salary for this job can be $55,000 a year.

Associate Degree: Executive Assistant

With your associate degree, you’ll become the right-hand person to an upper-management professional by handling high-level administrative duties. An executive assistant earns up to $50,000 annually.

Bachelor’s Degree: Business Analyst

Put your business degree to use as an analyst. You’ll observe trends and provide business owners with recommendations on how to improve efficiency or expand operations. This job pays around $80,000 for an experienced, degreed candidate.

Master’s Degree: Marketing Director

This leadership position manages a company’s marketing process. You’ll develop strategies to improve your firm’s bottom line, manage budgets, and analyze results. Expect to be paid approximately $140,000 annually in this field.

Many employers now require some type of specialized education beyond high school. This trend makes your postsecondary credentials more important in today’s job market than ever before. Discover more jobs that require a college degree and which companies are hiring courtesy of Glassdoor.