Education levels with the highest posted pay
Key facts
- #1 Doctoral or professional degree, Typical entry education: $180k
- #2 Master's degree, Typical entry education: $180k
- #3 Postsecondary nondegree award, Typical entry education: $158k
- 8 degrees ranked across all education levels
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education$180k
- 2Master's degree Typical entry education$180k
- 3Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education$158k
- 4Bachelor's degree Typical entry education$150k
- 5High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education$116k
- 6Some college, no degree Typical entry education$106k
- 7Associate degree Typical entry education$88k
- 8No formal educational credential Typical entry education$78k
What stands out
- Postsecondary nondegree award reaches #3 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
More schooling usually goes with higher pay, but the gap is not the same at every step. The median advertised salary at each level shows what the extra schooling is worth in current openings.
How to use it
Use it to weigh a degree or certificate against its cost and time. Compare the pay of a level with the occupations beneath it, because some well-paid jobs sit at a level below the one you would expect.
The top 25
- 1
Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education
$180k
- Open jobs
- 5,250
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $180k
- Occupations at this level
- 73
Based on 5,250 openings.
- 2
Master's degree Typical entry education
$180k
- Open jobs
- 4,896
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $180k
- Occupations at this level
- 40
Based on 4,896 openings.
- 3
Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education
$158k
- Open jobs
- 544
- Share of coded jobs
- 0%
- Median posted pay
- $158k
- Occupations at this level
- 51
Based on 544 openings.
- 4
Bachelor's degree Typical entry education
$150k
- Open jobs
- 205,934
- Share of coded jobs
- 82%
- Median posted pay
- $150k
- Occupations at this level
- 177
Based on 205,934 openings.
- 5
High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education
$116k
- Open jobs
- 27,189
- Share of coded jobs
- 11%
- Median posted pay
- $116k
- Occupations at this level
- 326
Based on 27,189 openings.
- 6
Some college, no degree Typical entry education
$106k
- Open jobs
- 1,413
- Share of coded jobs
- 1%
- Median posted pay
- $106k
- Occupations at this level
- 7
Based on 1,413 openings.
- 7
Associate degree Typical entry education
$88k
- Open jobs
- 4,030
- Share of coded jobs
- 2%
- Median posted pay
- $88k
- Occupations at this level
- 48
Based on 4,030 openings.
- 8
No formal educational credential Typical entry education
$78k
- Open jobs
- 1,560
- Share of coded jobs
- 1%
- Median posted pay
- $78k
- Occupations at this level
- 109
Based on 1,560 openings.
Full ranking
All 8 degrees that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | Field or level | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doctoral or professional degree Typical entry education | $180k | 5,250 |
| 2 | Master's degree Typical entry education | $180k | 4,896 |
| 3 | Postsecondary nondegree award Typical entry education | $158k | 544 |
| 4 | Bachelor's degree Typical entry education | $150k | 205,934 |
| 5 | High school diploma or equivalent Typical entry education | $116k | 27,189 |
| 6 | Some college, no degree Typical entry education | $106k | 1,413 |
| 7 | Associate degree Typical entry education | $88k | 4,030 |
| 8 | No formal educational credential Typical entry education | $78k | 1,560 |
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 median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range.
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 and 50 that post pay 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 highest posted pay?
- Doctoral or professional degree has the highest median posted pay of the education levels: $180k a year.
- 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 median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range. 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 and 50 that post pay 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 highest posted pay,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/education-levels-with-the-highest-posted-pay
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/education-levels-with-the-highest-posted-pay">Education levels with the highest posted pay (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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