NextChapter

Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mid-Atlantic

New York has the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mid-Atlantic: 1,666 jobs in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 New York, NY: 1,666 jobs
  • #2 Washington, DC: 349 jobs
  • #3 Philadelphia, PA: 208 jobs
  • 47 cities ranked in the Mid-Atlantic
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1New York NY1,666 jobs
  2. 2Washington DC349 jobs
  3. 3Philadelphia PA208 jobs
  4. 4Pittsburgh PA154 jobs
  5. 5Richmond VA136 jobs
  6. 6Arlington VA125 jobs
  7. 7Baltimore MD103 jobs
  8. 8New York NY92 jobs
  9. 9Syracuse NY70 jobs
  10. 10McLean VA69 jobs

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: New York (1,666 jobs) is well clear of McLean at #10 (69 jobs).
  • Syracuse reaches #9 on a sample of 285 jobs matched to an occupation, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 13,453 jobs matched to an occupation behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 60 jobs matched to an occupation are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

A four-year degree is not the only way into a professional job. Counting the openings in occupations that typically need less shows which cities have the most of them.

How to use it

If you do not have a four-year degree, the top cities show where the most such roles are. Big markets lead in the count, so read it with the share list.

The top 25

  1. 1

    New York NY

    1,666 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    1,666
    Share of the city's jobs
    12%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    13,453

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 13,453 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  2. 2

    Washington DC

    349 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    349
    Share of the city's jobs
    13%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    2,764

    Hiring most here: Anduril Industries, CACI International, Shield AI

    Based on 2,764 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Washington

  3. 3

    Philadelphia PA

    208 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    208
    Share of the city's jobs
    18%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    1,143

    Hiring most here: Confidential, GSK, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

    Based on 1,143 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Philadelphia

  4. 4

    Pittsburgh PA

    154 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    154
    Share of the city's jobs
    15%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    1,043

    Hiring most here: PNC Financial Services Group, Highmark Health, UPMC

    Based on 1,043 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Pittsburgh

  5. 5

    Richmond VA

    136 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    136
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    819

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 819 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  6. 6

    Arlington VA

    125 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    125
    Share of the city's jobs
    10%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    1,270

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Bloomberg Industry Group, AWS

    Based on 1,270 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  7. 7

    Baltimore MD

    103 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    103
    Share of the city's jobs
    13%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    764

    Hiring most here: Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

    Based on 764 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Baltimore

  8. 8

    New York NY

    92 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    92
    Share of the city's jobs
    12%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    762

    Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley

    Based on 762 openings.

    Jobs and employers in New York

  9. 9

    Syracuse NY

    70 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    70
    Share of the city's jobs
    25%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    285

    Hiring most here: Upstate Medical University, Hidden Level, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 285 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Syracuse

  10. 10

    McLean VA

    69 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    69
    Share of the city's jobs
    9%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    750

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 750 openings.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  11. 11

    Brooklyn NY

    64 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    64
    Share of the city's jobs
    14%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    467

    Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Altana AI

    Based on 467 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Brooklyn

  12. 12

    Charlottesville VA

    55 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    55
    Share of the city's jobs
    17%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    322

    Hiring most here: UVA Health, University of Virginia, University of Virginia-Main Campus

    Based on 322 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Charlottesville

  13. 13

    Rochester NY

    52 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    52
    Share of the city's jobs
    13%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    389

    Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund, Rochester Institute of Technology

    Based on 389 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Rochester

  14. 14

    Alexandria VA

    48 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    48
    Share of the city's jobs
    13%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    357

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 357 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  15. 15

    Albany NY

    48 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    48
    Share of the city's jobs
    19%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    259

    Hiring most here: KPMG, New York State, Broadview Credit Union

    Based on 259 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Albany

  16. 16

    Harrisburg PA

    48 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    48
    Share of the city's jobs
    29%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    167

    Hiring most here: Michels, Parsons, Capital Blue Cross

    Based on 167 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Harrisburg

  17. 17

    Mechanicsburg PA

    45 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    45
    Share of the city's jobs
    47%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    96

    Hiring most here: Gallagher Bassett, Gallagher, Arthur J. Gallagher

    Based on 96 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mechanicsburg

  18. 18

    Buffalo NY

    44 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    44
    Share of the city's jobs
    14%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    317

    Hiring most here: Moog Military Aircraft, University at Buffalo, Moog

    Based on 317 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Buffalo

  19. 19

    Virginia Beach VA

    42 jobs

    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

  20. 20

    Reston VA

    37 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    37
    Share of the city's jobs
    7%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    540

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 540 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  21. 21

    Wilmington DE

    37 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    37
    Share of the city's jobs
    12%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    301

    Hiring most here: Astrazeneca, Sargent & Lundy, CSC

    Based on 301 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Wilmington

  22. 22

    Newark NJ

    36 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    36
    Share of the city's jobs
    12%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    299

    Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible

    Based on 299 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Newark

  23. 23

    Fairfax VA

    36 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    36
    Share of the city's jobs
    14%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    260

    Hiring most here: George Mason University, Dewberry, Inova Health

    Based on 260 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Fairfax

  24. 24

    Herndon VA

    34 jobs

    Jobs that do not need a four-year degree
    34
    Share of the city's jobs
    6%
    Jobs matched to an occupation
    597

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 597 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  25. 25

    Roanoke VA

    34 jobs

    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

Full ranking

All 47 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1New York NY1,666 jobs13,453
2Washington DC349 jobs2,764
3Philadelphia PA208 jobs1,143
4Pittsburgh PA154 jobs1,043
5Richmond VA136 jobs819
6Arlington VA125 jobs1,270
7Baltimore MD103 jobs764
8New York NY92 jobs762
9Syracuse NY70 jobs285
10McLean VA69 jobs750
11Brooklyn NY64 jobs467
12Charlottesville VA55 jobs322
13Rochester NY52 jobs389
14Alexandria VA48 jobs357
15Albany NY48 jobs259
16Harrisburg PA48 jobs167
17Mechanicsburg PA45 jobs96
18Buffalo NY44 jobs317
19Virginia Beach VA42 jobs180
20Reston VA37 jobs540
21Wilmington DE37 jobs301
22Newark NJ36 jobs299
23Fairfax VA36 jobs260
24Herndon VA34 jobs597
25Roanoke VA34 jobs129
26Norfolk VA30 jobs219
27Bethesda MD29 jobs320
28Manassas VA27 jobs178
29Princeton NJ26 jobs247
30Jersey City NJ25 jobs362
31Annapolis MD25 jobs240
32Chesapeake VA24 jobs92
33King of Prussia PA23 jobs255
34Allentown PA23 jobs154
35Bronx NY23 jobs114
36Morristown NJ22 jobs116
37Frederick MD22 jobs109
38Sterling VA21 jobs240
39Rockville MD20 jobs233
40Lancaster PA20 jobs118
41Conshohocken PA19 jobs86
42Chantilly VA18 jobs417
43Springfield VA18 jobs175
44Newark DE17 jobs124
45Fort Meade MD16 jobs197
46Reading PA16 jobs151
47White Plains NY15 jobs146

How this ranking works

A city's score is the number 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 15 such jobs and 60 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 60 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 with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the mid-atlantic?
New York has the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mid-Atlantic: 1,666 jobs in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
47 cities have at least 60 jobs matched to an occupation, so the list has 47 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the number 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 15 such jobs and 60 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 with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mid-Atlantic,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-with-the-most-jobs-that-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-mid-atlantic

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/cities-with-the-most-jobs-that-do-not-need-a-four-year-degree-in-the-mid-atlantic">Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Mid-Atlantic (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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