No college degree? See the best and worst places in the US for a job

U.S. employers – both public and private – are increasingly ditching college degrees as a job requirement across an array of roles amid a nationwide shortage of workers, but the opportunities for good-paying jobs can vary greatly depending on where a candidate lives.

That is according to a new study ranking the best and worst job markets in the U.S. for job-seekers that do not hold degrees, indicating some areas are lagging behind in catching up with the trend.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Indeed, CashNetUSA found that New York is “by far the worst state to look for a job” without a degree, with 21.94 local nondegree holders for every open position. 

New York City was named the worst city in the nation for finding a job without a degree, with 41.48 nondegree holders for each available job.

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California is the second-worst state for finding a job without a college degree, with 13.58 nondegree holders per entry-level position.

The report suggested both states earned their rankings due to stiff competition in their respective job markets, noting that New York City is the most attractive city in the country for younger professionals to work, while California was named the best place to work last year by Oxfam.

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New Jersey was ranked the third-toughest state to find a job without a degree, with 12.59 nondegree holders for every open entry-level position.

On the other end of the spectrum, the state ranked No. 1 for nondegree jobseekers was Maine, with only 3.05 non-graduates per entry-level job, followed by West Virginia (3.37), and South Carolina (3.49).

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Although the competition can be stiff in large cities with highly-educated workforces, the study found many cities in the U.S. where those without a college degree can find well-paying jobs.

The top city in the U.S. for job-seekers without a degree is Fort Myers, Florida, where there are 1.2 nondegree holders per open entry-level role. 

The second-best city to look for a job without a degree is Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, followed by No. 3 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, No. 4 Annapolis, Maryland, and No. 5 Scottsdale, Arizona.