NextChapter

Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southeast

Fort Myers leads the Southeast: 28% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 15% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Fort Myers, FL: 28%
  • #2 Roanoke, VA: 26%
  • #3 Chesapeake, VA: 26%
  • 69 cities ranked in the Southeast
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 15% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Fort Myers FL28%
  2. 2Roanoke VA26%
  3. 3Chesapeake VA26%
  4. 4Mobile AL26%
  5. 5Knoxville TN25%
  6. 6Pensacola FL25%
  7. 7Savannah GA24%
  8. 8Augusta GA24%
  9. 9Asheville NC24%
  10. 10Virginia Beach VA23%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Fort Myers leads on 28%, and #10 Virginia Beach is at 23%.
  • Knoxville is the largest market in the top ten, with 315 jobs matched to an occupation behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 80 jobs matched to an occupation are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Some cities hire for a bigger share of occupations that need no four-year degree. The share shows where a job seeker without a bachelor's has the largest part of the market to aim at.

How to use it

Use it to compare cities for a search without a four-year degree, and read it beside the count so you do not chase a small market with a high share.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Fort Myers FL

    28%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    32
    Share of the city's jobs
    28%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    114

    Hiring most here: Gartner, Apex Companies, Hearst

    Based on 114 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Myers

  2. 2

    Roanoke VA

    26%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    34
    Share of the city's jobs
    26%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    129

    Hiring most here: Carilion Clinic, Carilion Medical Center, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 129 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Roanoke

  3. 3

    Chesapeake VA

    26%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    24
    Share of the city's jobs
    26%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    92

    Hiring most here: Family Dollar, Oceaneering International, Trane U.s.

    Based on 92 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chesapeake

  4. 4

    Mobile AL

    26%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    26
    Share of the city's jobs
    26%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    100

    Hiring most here: Seattle Aquarium Society-seas, Alten Technology USA, PRF Technologies

    Based on 100 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mobile

  5. 5

    Knoxville TN

    25%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    79
    Share of the city's jobs
    25%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    315

    Hiring most here: University of Tennessee, University of Tennessee System, Covenant Health (Tennessee)

    Based on 315 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Knoxville

  6. 6

    Pensacola FL

    25%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    27
    Share of the city's jobs
    25%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    108

    Hiring most here: Baptist Health Care, Navy Federal Credit Union, Danaher

    Based on 108 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pensacola

  7. 7

    Savannah GA

    24%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    33
    Share of the city's jobs
    24%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    135

    Hiring most here: Great Dane, Parsons

    Based on 135 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Savannah

  8. 8

    Augusta GA

    24%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    31
    Share of the city's jobs
    24%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    130

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Inscripta, Veterans Health Administration

    Based on 130 openings.

  9. 9

    Asheville NC

    24%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    22
    Share of the city's jobs
    24%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    93

    Hiring most here: RTX, Rha Health Services, Eaton

    Based on 93 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Asheville

  10. 10

    Virginia Beach VA

    23%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    42
    Share of the city's jobs
    23%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    180

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Amazon, Commander, Navy Installations Command

    Based on 180 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Virginia Beach

  11. 11

    Montgomery AL

    22%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    33
    Share of the city's jobs
    22%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    150

    Hiring most here: CONDUENT, Faith Technologies, Hyundai Motor America

    Based on 150 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Montgomery

  12. 12

    Fort Lauderdale FL

    21%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    91
    Share of the city's jobs
    21%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    427

    Hiring most here: North Broward Hospital District (Broward Health), Autonation, Town & Country Credit Union

    Based on 427 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Lauderdale

  13. 13

    Gainesville FL

    21%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    21
    Share of the city's jobs
    21%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    99

    Hiring most here: UF Health, Veterans Health Administration

    Based on 99 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Gainesville

  14. 14

    Wilmington NC

    21%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    30
    Share of the city's jobs
    21%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    144

    Hiring most here: Corning, Novant Health, Acadia Healthcare Company

    Based on 144 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Wilmington

  15. 15

    Greensboro NC

    20%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    60
    Share of the city's jobs
    20%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    303

    Hiring most here: Cone Health, Kaiser Permanente, Guilford County Schools

    Based on 303 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Greensboro

  16. 16

    Louisville KY

    19%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    251
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    1,319

    Hiring most here: BrightSpring Health Services, Norton Healthcare, GE Appliances

    Based on 1,319 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Louisville

  17. 17

    St. Petersburg FL

    19%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    19
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    101

    Hiring most here: Jabil, Hilton Grand Vacations

    Based on 101 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Petersburg

  18. 18

    Frankfort KY

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    17
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    92

    Hiring most here: Lumen, Oracle, Kentucky State University

    Based on 92 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Frankfort

  19. 19

    Jackson MS

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    16
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    87

    Hiring most here: Entergy, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Dewberry

    Based on 87 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Jackson

  20. 20

    Boca Raton FL

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    45
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    254

    Hiring most here: Compass, Baptist Health South Florida, SBA Communications

    Based on 254 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Boca Raton

  21. 21

    Norcross GA

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    17
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    96

    Hiring most here: ACI Worldwide, Pruitthealth Home Health, Slip Robotics

    Based on 96 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Norcross

  22. 22

    Palm Beach Gardens FL

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    21
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    119

    Hiring most here: Nextera Energy, Brighter Signals, Kaufman Rossin

    Based on 119 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Palm Beach Gardens

  23. 23

    Brentwood TN

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    22
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    125

    Hiring most here: LifePoint Health, Premise Health, Delek US

    Based on 125 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brentwood

  24. 24

    Chattanooga TN

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    27
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    154

    Hiring most here: Sargent & Lundy, Unum Group, University of Tennessee System

    Based on 154 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chattanooga

  25. 25

    Clearwater FL

    18%

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    21
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    120

    Hiring most here: Honeywell Aerospace, Kemco Systems, Knowbe4

    Based on 120 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Clearwater

Full ranking

All 69 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Fort Myers FL28%114
2Roanoke VA26%129
3Chesapeake VA26%92
4Mobile AL26%100
5Knoxville TN25%315
6Pensacola FL25%108
7Savannah GA24%135
8Augusta GA24%130
9Asheville NC24%93
10Virginia Beach VA23%180
11Montgomery AL22%150
12Fort Lauderdale FL21%427
13Gainesville FL21%99
14Wilmington NC21%144
15Greensboro NC20%303
16Louisville KY19%1,319
17St. Petersburg FL19%101
18Frankfort KY18%92
19Jackson MS18%87
20Boca Raton FL18%254
21Norcross GA18%96
22Palm Beach Gardens FL18%119
23Brentwood TN18%125
24Chattanooga TN18%154
25Clearwater FL18%120
26Charlottesville VA17%322
27Hampton VA17%83
28Miami FL17%1,526
29Franklin TN17%90
30Richmond VA17%819
31Tampa FL16%1,179
32Naples FL16%146
33Greenville SC16%241
34Doral FL16%99
35Tallahassee FL16%482
36Lexington KY16%153
37Orlando FL15%924
38Melbourne FL15%230
39Manassas VA15%178
40Sarasota FL15%140
41Jacksonville FL15%704
42Atlanta GA15%3,586
43Birmingham AL14%427
44Nashville TN14%1,214
45Columbia SC14%229
46Raleigh NC14%1,019
47Fairfax VA14%260
48Charlotte NC14%2,175
49Norfolk VA14%219
50Alexandria VA13%357
51Memphis TN13%479
52Charleston SC13%233
53Newport News VA13%91
54Duluth GA13%109
55Alpharetta GA12%414
56Durham NC11%491
57Cary NC11%161
58Vienna VA11%119
59Coral Gables FL10%165
60Springfield VA10%175
61Tysons VA10%138
62Marietta GA10%180
63Arlington VA10%1,270
64McLean VA9%750
65Sterling VA9%240
66Huntsville AL7%877
67Reston VA7%540
68Herndon VA6%597
69Chantilly VA4%417

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 80 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the southeast?
Fort Myers leads the Southeast: 28% of its jobs are in occupations that do not typically need a four-year degree, against 15% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
69 cities have at least 80 jobs matched to an occupation, so the list has 69 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose occupation typically needs less than a bachelor's degree: an associate degree, a postsecondary certificate, some college, a high school diploma or no formal credential (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only cities with at least 12 such jobs and 80 matched jobs are ranked, and a city where one employer posts at least half the openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score. Our board is professional roles, so these are a small share everywhere.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-southeast

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-where-the-most-jobs-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-southeast">Cities where the biggest share of jobs do not need a four-year degree in the Southeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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