Does a certificate pay as well as a degree?
In some fields a one-year certificate earns close to a bachelor's degree right after graduation. In others the gap is wide. Here is the comparison for every field with enough programs.
In homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, a typical certificate program's graduates earn $54,441 one year out — more than the $43,372 a typical bachelor's program reports. First-year pay is only part of the story: bachelor's earnings usually grow faster, and certificate programs cost far less.
| Field | Certificate | Associate | Bachelor's | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting | $54,441 | $40,554 | $43,372 | 1,254 |
| Transportation and materials moving | $48,327 | — | $54,604 | 191 |
| Legal professions | $48,023 | $42,131 | $44,026 | 205 |
| Engineering technologies | $45,662 | $59,378 | $70,417 | 732 |
| Construction trades | $42,825 | $49,794 | — | 351 |
| Precision production (welding, machining) | $42,574 | $48,926 | — | 356 |
| Mechanic and repair technologies | $42,250 | $48,637 | — | 791 |
| Computer and information sciences | $41,886 | $46,197 | $67,024 | 1,725 |
| Health professions | $35,683 | $61,644 | $68,805 | 7,695 |
| Business, management and marketing | $35,585 | $41,316 | $54,932 | 5,217 |
| Liberal arts and general studies | $35,339 | $33,693 | $42,487 | 1,285 |
| Visual and performing arts | $30,980 | $30,220 | $32,602 | 1,693 |
| Education | $30,737 | $30,675 | $44,784 | 1,532 |
| Agriculture | $29,383 | $38,607 | $44,412 | 579 |
| Communication and journalism | $27,556 | $30,638 | $42,186 | 1,139 |
| Family and consumer sciences | $27,216 | $30,402 | $39,329 | 407 |
| Culinary and personal services | $23,065 | $35,400 | $43,024 | 1,299 |
| Engineering | — | $53,528 | $76,612 | 1,796 |
| Biological sciences | — | $34,880 | $37,806 | 1,459 |
| Psychology | — | $30,440 | $37,593 | 1,183 |
| Social sciences | — | $34,470 | $43,367 | 1,888 |
| Public administration and social service | — | $35,714 | $42,308 | 563 |
| Parks, recreation and fitness | — | $33,255 | $37,666 | 648 |
| Interdisciplinary studies | — | $35,332 | $43,186 | 642 |
| Science technologies | — | $59,306 | $61,604 | 40 |
| Communications technologies | — | $30,401 | $30,588 | 126 |
Median across programs of each program's median earnings one year after completion, for graduates who received federal aid. Certificates count only at colleges that mainly award certificates or associate degrees, because at four-year colleges many certificates are earned alongside a bachelor's. A field needs at least 10 programs at a level to be shown. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
