It’s well-known that individuals with a college degree earn more over their lifetime, with the Social Security Administration reporting a median of $900,000. However, there are numerous jobs that do not require a degree, and in the current tight labor market, some companies are eliminating the degree requirement.
However, research shows that New Jersey ranks among the worst states for job seekers without a degree. According to a study by Stacker, job opportunities for individuals without a degree vary by location, with larger cities tending to have a more educated workforce, making it more challenging to secure a job without a degree. At the state level, Maine, West Virginia, and South Carolina provide the most opportunities for non-degree holders, while New York, California, and New Jersey are the most competitive states for these same workers.
The study identified Fort Lee as the most favorable city in New Jersey for individuals without a degree, while Jersey City was ranked as the least favorable. New York City and Berkeley, California, were determined to be the worst cities overall for non-degreed individuals. The top-ranked city was Fort Myers, Florida, followed by Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
The methodology of the study involved gathering data on the local population size of individuals aged 18-24 with a high school diploma as the highest level of education from the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the 300 most populous cities in the U.S. and the top five most populous cities and urban areas in each U.S. state. For each city and U.S. state, Indeed.com was then utilized to determine the number of entry-level positions advertised that required a high school diploma as the maximum educational level. This data was used to calculate the local ratio of high school graduates per available entry-level job, enabling the ranking of the most and least competitive cities and states for job seekers without college degrees.
