NCcareers.org now offers you a personal career GPS! Map your path to success with our Career Plan Builder. This personalized platform assesses your unique skills and aspirations, providing a step-by-step roadmap to your dream career. Update your goals, track your progress, and access targeted resources - all in one place.
Sign in and start building your Career Plan now!
Start Planning
Middle and High School is the perfect time to start thinking about careers. Learn about the advantages of thinking about careers at a young age.
Career development and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses help you plan and gain skills for success in your future career. Learn about CTE, Internships, and more from your CDC.
Learn about the services and assistance your school counselor provides and how they can help you with your career planning.
Gain skills and career experience through CTE. Learn about courses, clusters, work-based learning, student organizations (CTSOs), NTHS, industry credentials, free college courses and more.
Learn about how these NC Community College staff members can help.
NCWorks has programs that can help with career planning and more…
Next Step
Start building your future career today.
By Education
Use your education as a starting point in your journey. Choose a type of education and search for a program to see which occupations best match your education. Click the add education button if you want to include additional education types.
By Current Occupation
Use your current job or any occupation you desire as the starting point in your career journey. Type in an occupation name to learn what is next in line on your career journey.
By Goal Career
This tool can help you understand a potential pathway to a goal career. First start with your goal career. Next, add a starting education or occupation. Now start building. You'll then be presented below with jobs that have similar job skills or job duties to your dream job but typically pay less.
First Step
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$104,470
($50.22/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
None or Negative Growth
-4.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
29
Choose your next step from the list below.
Sort By
35
Education
Requirement
Requirement
Median
Annual Wage
Annual Wage
Annual
Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Avg. Annual
Openings
Openings
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$65,860
($31.67/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
4.6%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
22
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$62,420
($30.01/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
2.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
361
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$83,470
($40.13/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
2.2%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
69
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$47,370
($22.78/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
2.2%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
86
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$60,650
($29.16/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
2.0%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
66
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$67,720
($32.56/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
1.9%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
4
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$82,040
($39.44/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
1.8%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
79
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$59,080
($28.40/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
1.7%
Avg. Annual Openings
Very Strong Opportunity
851
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$62,390
($30.00/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Very Strong Growth
1.6%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
535
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$45,830
($22.03/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
118
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$41,350
($19.88/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
274
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$84,330
($40.55/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
711
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$64,530
($31.02/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.2%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
446
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$62,450
($30.02/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.2%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
207
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$62,400
($30.00/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.1%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
59
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$65,970
($31.72/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.1%
Avg. Annual Openings
Very Strong Opportunity
869
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$93,470
($44.94/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.1%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
99
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$70,680
($33.98/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.1%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
13
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$65,540
($31.51/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.1%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
211
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$81,730
($39.29/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.0%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
31
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$75,390
($36.24/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.0%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
472
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$92,460
($44.45/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Strong Growth
1.0%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
335
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$62,460
($30.03/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.9%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
548
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$69,250
($33.29/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.9%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
196
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$74,530
($35.83/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.9%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
369
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$61,700
($29.66/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.8%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
123
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$77,530
($37.27/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.8%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
80
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$47,730
($22.95/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.8%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
17
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$57,970
($27.87/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Average Growth
0.7%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
5
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$49,670
($23.88/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Slow Growth
0.6%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
332
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$75,920
($36.50/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Slow Growth
0.5%
Avg. Annual Openings
Few Opportunities
36
Education: Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
Median Annual Wage
$64,750
($31.13/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Slow Growth
0.3%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
17
Education: Associate's degree
Associate's degree
Median Annual Wage
$63,840
($30.69/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
Slow Growth
0.2%
Avg. Annual Openings
Strong Opportunity
338
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$50,290
($24.18/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
None or Negative Growth
0.0%
Avg. Annual Openings
Rare Opportunity
8
Education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary nondegree award
Median Annual Wage
$68,380
($32.87/hr)
Annual Growth Rate
None or Negative Growth
-0.7%
Avg. Annual Openings
Average Opportunity
93
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