Insights
What percentage of jobs require a degree?
As of November 5, 2026, 29.4% of the US job postings we have read ask for a bachelor's degree or more, and 70.6% ask for less or name no degree.
Figures as of .
How many postings ask for a degree
From the US postings we have read for education, as of November 5, 2026. A posting counts at the lowest degree it accepts. Accept experience instead is out of the postings that ask for a bachelor's or more.
| Measure | Share | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Ask for less than a bachelor's | 70.6% | 1,104,911 |
| Accept experience instead | 24.3% | 111,855 |
| Ask for a graduate degree | 5.3% | 82,670 |
The lowest degree postings accept
Each requirement's share of the 1,565,611 US postings we have read for education, of 3,327,124 live US postings, as of November 5, 2026. A posting counts at the lowest degree it accepts. No degree named means the posting mentions no degree at all.
| Requirement | Postings | Share | Accept experience instead | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No degree named | 711,778 | 45.5% | n/a | $47,840 |
| High school diploma | 329,498 | 21.0% | n/a | $45,760 |
| Associate degree | 63,635 | 4.1% | n/a | $72,500 |
| Bachelor's degree | 378,030 | 24.1% | 28.8% | $123,338 |
| Master's degree | 17,314 | 1.1% | 7.0% | $117,500 |
| Doctorate | 6,911 | 0.4% | 5.7% | $151,000 |
| Professional degree | 58,445 | 3.7% | 2.3% | $135,002 |
Advertised pay, by education
Yearly pay in the read US postings that list it, as of November 5, 2026. The typical range is the middle 50 percent of postings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Jobs that ask for more education also differ in their type of work, so these gaps are not the value of a degree.
| Requirement | Postings with pay | Employers | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No degree named | 316,757 | 24,455 | $39,000 | $47,840 | $90,938 |
| High school diploma | 157,422 | 12,005 | $38,480 | $45,760 | $60,000 |
| Associate degree | 32,282 | 5,263 | $60,008 | $72,500 | $90,000 |
| Bachelor's degree | 212,520 | 21,217 | $85,000 | $123,338 | $164,500 |
| Master's degree | 9,635 | 2,473 | $84,000 | $117,500 | $169,309 |
| Doctorate | 3,309 | 891 | $107,500 | $151,000 | $197,600 |
| Professional degree | 30,334 | 4,567 | $92,000 | $135,002 | $221,000 |
Education, by field
Each field's read US postings by the education they ask for, as of November 5, 2026. Graduate degree means a master's, doctorate, or professional degree. A requirement with fewer than 50 postings in a field is left out of that field's total.
| Field | Read postings | Less than a bachelor's | Bachelor's | Graduate degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative and office support | 31,649 | 91.9% | 7.8% | 0.3% |
| Arts, design and media | 14,563 | 68.6% | 29.9% | 1.5% |
| Business operations | 91,891 | 40.3% | 57.9% | 1.8% |
| Community and social services | 18,342 | 54.5% | 30.3% | 15.2% |
| Customer service and support | 36,650 | 85.8% | 14.0% | 0.2% |
| Driving and transportation | 35,594 | 99.3% | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Education and childcare | 74,375 | 68.5% | 23.5% | 8.0% |
| Engineering and architecture | 62,724 | 21.6% | 74.8% | 3.5% |
| Facilities, cleaning and grounds | 43,008 | 94.8% | 5.1% | 0.1% |
| Finance and accounting | 59,200 | 55.7% | 43.2% | 1.1% |
| Food service and hospitality | 144,711 | 97.3% | 2.6% | 0.1% |
| Healthcare | 221,186 | 64.4% | 12.1% | 23.4% |
| Legal and compliance | 18,999 | 35.3% | 36.0% | 28.6% |
| Manufacturing and production | 36,315 | 84.6% | 15.1% | 0.3% |
| Marketing and communications | 29,099 | 52.7% | 46.3% | 1.0% |
| People and HR | 20,306 | 49.0% | 49.9% | 1.1% |
| Personal care, fitness and recreation | 29,868 | 94.9% | 4.6% | 0.5% |
| Retail | 161,465 | 97.0% | 3.0% | 0.0% |
| Sales | 101,557 | 63.7% | 36.0% | 0.4% |
| Science and research | 7,846 | 30.7% | 42.7% | 26.6% |
| Security and public safety | 24,184 | 95.5% | 4.3% | 0.2% |
| Skilled trades and construction | 77,509 | 89.4% | 10.5% | 0.1% |
| Tech | 156,853 | 41.3% | 54.4% | 4.3% |
| Warehouse and logistics | 31,561 | 92.6% | 7.4% | 0.0% |
Frequently asked questions
- What percentage of jobs require a degree?
- As of November 5, 2026, 29.4% of the US job postings we have read ask for a bachelor's degree or more, and 70.6% ask for less or name no degree.
- What percentage of jobs ask for a graduate degree?
- 5.3% of the US job postings we have read ask for a master's, doctorate, or professional degree, as of November 5, 2026.
- Do jobs that ask for a degree accept experience instead?
- 24.3% of the US postings that ask for a bachelor's degree or more also accept experience in its place, as of November 5, 2026.
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