Conventional wisdom has it that there are myriads of high-wage jobs that don’t require a B.A. but do require something more than a high school degree. These jobs are labelled middle-skills jobs. The claim of so many high-wage middle-skills jobs is a central component of the you don’t need a B.A. messaging that students––particularly non-affluent students––are constantly bombarded with.
It is important to note that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) determines educational attainment required for each occupation based on the level of education achieved by workers who are employed in the occupations. So whether employers require a B.A. or not in posting a job is not a factor at all in the BLS education requirement determination.
Turns out the claim of many high-wage middle-skills jobs is greatly exaggerated. Only about one in ten 2023 Michigan jobs that pay at least $65,000 are in occupations that require more education than a high school degree, but less than a B.A. (About three in ten Michigan jobs pay at least $65,000.)
Completely contrary to conventional wisdom, there are far more Michigan jobs that pay at least $65,000 that require a high school degree or less that there are high-paid middle-skills jobs. About one in four Michigan jobs that pay at least $65,000 require a high school degree or less.
The details of the education attainment distribution of Michigan jobs that pay at least $65,000 is:
- 65.7 percent require a B.A.or more
- 2.4 percent require an apprenticeship
- 3.2 percent require an associate degree
- 4.2 percent require more that a high school degree, but not an apprenticeship or associate degree
- 24.5 percent require a high school degree or less
Of the 1,329,406 Michigan jobs that pay at least $65,000:
- 872,867 require a B.A. or more
- 32,530 require an apprenticeship
- 42,194 require an associate degree
- 55,817 require more that a high school degree, but not an apprenticeship or associate degree
- 325,530 require a high school degree or less
It also turns out that most middle-skills jobs don’t pay at least $65,000:
- 43.9 percent of jobs that require an apprenticeship pay at least $65,000
- 44.4 percent of jobs that require an associate degree pay at least $65,000
- 15.1 percent of jobs that require more than a high school degree, but not an apprenticeship or associate degree pay at least $65,000
The very small percent of jobs that require more than a high school degree, but not an apprenticeship or associate degree should call into question the constant promotion of non-degree credentials and certificates. They simply are not a reliable path to high-paid jobs.
The bottom line is clear: the most reliable path to a high-wage job is getting a four-year degree. End of story! We simply have got to stop delivering the opposite message to students.
