{"h1":"Occupations needing an associate degree or a certificate with the most open jobs","faq":[{"a":"Paralegals and legal assistants has the most open jobs of the occupations that typically need an associate degree, some college or a postsecondary certificate: 1,728 jobs in our data.","q":"Which occupation ranks first: occupations needing an associate degree or a certificate with the most open jobs?"},{"a":"11 occupations have at least 100 open jobs, so the list has 11 entries.","q":"How many occupations are ranked?"},{"a":"An occupation is a standard occupation (SOC) code, and the group is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for it: here, an associate degree, some college or a postsecondary certificate. An occupation's score is the number of its open professional roles. 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 occupations with at least 100 open jobs are ranked.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"Paralegals and legal assistants has the most open jobs of the occupations that typically need an associate degree, some college or a postsecondary certificate: 1,728 jobs in our data.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":1728,"bar":1,"key":"soc:23-2011","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Paralegals and legal assistants","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"1,728"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$81k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−0.3%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"404,900"}],"value":1728,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"1,728 jobs"},{"n":817,"bar":0.4728009259259259,"key":"soc:43-3031","sub":"Some college, no degree","href":null,"name":"Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"817"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$65k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−5.6%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,532,400"}],"value":817,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"817 jobs"},{"n":592,"bar":0.3425925925925926,"key":"soc:19-4099","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other","rank":3,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"592"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$79k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.4%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"89,500"}],"value":592,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"592 jobs"},{"n":559,"bar":0.3234953703703703,"key":"soc:15-1232","sub":"Some college, no degree","href":null,"name":"Computer user support specialists","rank":4,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"559"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$116k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−3.5%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"750,600"}],"value":559,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"559 jobs"},{"n":291,"bar":0.1684027777777778,"key":"soc:15-1231","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Computer network support specialists","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"291"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$158k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+1.2%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"152,500"}],"value":291,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"291 jobs"},{"n":161,"bar":0.0931712962962963,"key":"soc:17-3012","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Electrical and electronics drafters","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"161"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"Not enough pay data"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−3.4%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"18,900"}],"value":161,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"161 jobs"},{"n":136,"bar":0.0787037037037037,"key":"soc:43-4161","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"136"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"Not enough pay data"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−6.2%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"96,500"}],"value":136,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"136 jobs"},{"n":125,"bar":0.07233796296296297,"key":"soc:17-3011","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Architectural and civil drafters","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"125"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"Not enough pay data"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+5.2%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"104,100"}],"value":125,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"125 jobs"},{"n":113,"bar":0.06539351851851852,"key":"soc:29-2072","sub":"Postsecondary nondegree award","href":null,"name":"Medical records specialists","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"113"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$271k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+7.8%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"200,700"}],"value":113,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"113 jobs"},{"n":111,"bar":0.0642361111111111,"key":"soc:11-9171","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Funeral home managers","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"111"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"Not enough pay data"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.1%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"34,800"}],"value":111,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"111 jobs"},{"n":110,"bar":0.06365740740740741,"key":"soc:17-3027","sub":"Associate degree","href":null,"name":"Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"110"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"Not enough pay data"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+1.3%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"36,900"}],"value":110,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"110 jobs"}],"slug":"occupations-needing-an-associate-degree-or-certificate-with-the-most-open-jobs","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"us","kind":"national","name":"United States"},"title":"Occupations needing an associate degree or a certificate with the most open jobs","family":"Degrees","method":["An occupation is a standard occupation (SOC) code, and the group is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for it: here, an associate degree, some college or a postsecondary certificate. An occupation's score is the number of its open professional roles.","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 occupations with at least 100 open jobs are ranked."],"builtAt":"2026-11-03T15:06:31.259Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"dg_occ","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"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 Paralegals and legal assistants, Associate degree: 1,728 jobs","#2 Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, Some college, no degree: 817 jobs","#3 Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other, Associate degree: 592 jobs","11 occupations ranked across all occupations","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"occupations","commentary":["The lead is wide: Paralegals and legal assistants (1,728 jobs) is well clear of Funeral home managers at #10 (111 jobs).","Funeral home managers reaches #10 on a sample of 111 open jobs, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Paralegals and legal assistants is the largest market in the top ten, with 1,728 open jobs behind its figure.","Occupations with fewer than 100 open jobs are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/occupations-needing-an-associate-degree-or-certificate-with-the-most-open-jobs"}