Education levels with the fewest open jobs
Key facts
- #1 Postsecondary nondegree award, Typical entry education: 544 jobs
- #2 Some college, no degree, Typical entry education: 1,413 jobs
- #3 No formal educational credential, Typical entry education: 1,560 jobs
- 8 degrees ranked across all education levels
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education544 jobs
- 2Some college, no degree Typical entry education1,413 jobs
- 3No formal educational credential Typical entry education1,560 jobs
- 4Associate degree Typical entry education4,030 jobs
- 5Master's degree Typical entry education4,896 jobs
- 6Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education5,250 jobs
- 7High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education27,189 jobs
- 8Bachelor's degree Typical entry education205,934 jobs
What stands out
- Postsecondary nondegree award reaches #1 on a sample of 544 open jobs, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Bachelor's degree is the largest market in the top ten, with 205,934 open jobs behind its figure.
- Degrees with fewer than 300 open jobs are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Jobs ask for different amounts of schooling. Counting open jobs by the typical education of their occupation shows how much of the market is open at each level, from no credential to a doctorate.
How to use it
If you do not have a four-year degree, look at the associate, certificate and high school levels and the occupation lists beneath them. If you do, the bachelor's and master's levels show how crowded your end of the market is.
The top 25
- 1
Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education
544 jobs
- Open jobs
- 544
- Share of coded jobs
- 0%
- Median posted pay
- $158k
- Occupations at this level
- 51
Based on 544 openings.
- 2
Some college, no degree Typical entry education
1,413 jobs
- Open jobs
- 1,413
- Share of coded jobs
- 1%
- Median posted pay
- $106k
- Occupations at this level
- 7
Based on 1,413 openings.
- 3
No formal educational credential Typical entry education
1,560 jobs
- Open jobs
- 1,560
- Share of coded jobs
- 1%
- Median posted pay
- $78k
- Occupations at this level
- 109
Based on 1,560 openings.
- 4
Associate degree Typical entry education
4,030 jobs
- Open jobs
- 4,030
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $88k
- Occupations at this level
- 48
Based on 4,030 openings.
- 5
Master's degree Typical entry education
4,896 jobs
- Open jobs
- 4,896
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $180k
- Occupations at this level
- 40
Based on 4,896 openings.
- 6
Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education
5,250 jobs
- Open jobs
- 5,250
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $180k
- Occupations at this level
- 73
Based on 5,250 openings.
- 7
High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education
27,189 jobs
- Open jobs
- 27,189
- Share of coded jobs
- 11%
- Median posted pay
- $116k
- Occupations at this level
- 326
Based on 27,189 openings.
- 8
Bachelor's degree Typical entry education
205,934 jobs
- Open jobs
- 205,934
- Share of coded jobs
- 82%
- Median posted pay
- $150k
- Occupations at this level
- 177
Based on 205,934 openings.
Full ranking
All 8 degrees that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | Field or level | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education | 544 jobs | 544 |
| 2 | Some college, no degree Typical entry education | 1,413 jobs | 1,413 |
| 3 | No formal educational credential Typical entry education | 1,560 jobs | 1,560 |
| 4 | Associate degree Typical entry education | 4,030 jobs | 4,030 |
| 5 | Master's degree Typical entry education | 4,896 jobs | 4,896 |
| 6 | Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education | 5,250 jobs | 5,250 |
| 7 | High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education | 27,189 jobs | 27,189 |
| 8 | Bachelor's degree Typical entry education | 205,934 jobs | 205,934 |
How this ranking works
An education level is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for an occupation. A level's score is the number of open professional roles in occupations at that level.
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. Our board is professional roles, so it holds far more jobs that need a four-year degree than the economy as a whole. Only levels with at least 300 open jobs are ranked.
Sample bar: degrees with fewer than 300 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 degree field or education level ranks first: education levels with the fewest open jobs?
- Postsecondary nondegree award has the fewest open jobs of the education levels: 544 jobs in our data.
- How many degrees are ranked?
- 8 degrees have at least 300 open jobs, so the list has 8 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- An education level is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for an occupation. A level's score is the number of open professional roles in occupations at that level. 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. Our board is professional roles, so it holds far more jobs that need a four-year degree than the economy as a whole. Only levels with at least 300 open jobs are ranked.
- 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, “Education levels with the fewest open jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/education-levels-with-the-fewest-open-jobs
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/education-levels-with-the-fewest-open-jobs">Education levels with the fewest open jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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