Occupations by education level
What each level of schooling actually opens up. Levels are the Bureau of Labor Statistics assignment of the education most workers need to enter a job, so they describe what is typical rather than what is required.
- High school diploma or equivalent223 occupations
- Bachelor's degree171 occupations
- Doctoral or professional degree73 occupations
- Postsecondary nondegree award51 occupations
- Associate's degree48 occupations
- Master's degree39 occupations
- No formal educational credential38 occupations
- Some college, no degree5 occupations
Frequently asked questions
What does "typical entry education" mean?+
It is the Bureau of Labor Statistics assignment of the education level most workers need to enter an occupation. It describes what is typical, not what is required: some people enter with more schooling and some with less.
Does a higher education level always mean higher pay?+
No. Median pay varies widely inside every education level. Several occupations that typically need a postsecondary nondegree award or an associate degree out-earn occupations that typically need a bachelor degree, which is exactly what these pages let you check.
How does this relate to the degree programs listed on each occupation page?+
The education level is what BLS says workers typically need. The programs listed on an occupation page are the majors that people who enter that job actually graduated from, taken from the federal CIP to SOC crosswalk and IPEDS completions. The two answer different questions and are worth reading together.
Where does this data come from?+
Education assignments come from the BLS Employment Projections program. Wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and graduate counts from IPEDS completions.
Is browsing occupations by education level free?+
Yes. Browsing every education level and its occupations on Clema is free and needs no account.
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · IPEDS Fall 2025–26 provisional · College Scorecard (June 2026 release). All sources & release dates →
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