Best Community Colleges in Arizona

Why Attend Community College in Arizona?

There are many benefits to studying at a community college, not least of which is the more affordable tuition fees. Arizona is no exception and holds a number of excellent options for its residents. Popular choices include Phoenix College, a small and vibrant learning community, located in the heart of the most populous city in the state, offering a range of courses to suit any budget. Other larger schools such as Arizona State University (ASU), The University of Arizona, or Northern Arizona University can also be great options, although costs can vary considerably.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Arizona?

Arizona is an excellent choice for anyone looking to get a foothold in the job market, as it has a total of 745 unique job types and comes in 19th for most types in the nation. The value for labor force is incredibly strong in the state and brings in a whopping 2.04% of the nation’s workforce. The state specialises in advanced manufacturing, food production, technology, and professional services.

The labor force in The Grand Canyon State is particularly vibrant with around 2.89 million employed people and sitting firmly in the 68th percentile. A comparison to Oregon, which is regarded as the median state, shows that Arizona leaves its rival in the dust with a difference of 1,055,320 jobs (or 57.8% more than Oregon).

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Arizona?

A few of the most common job types in Arizona are customer service representatives, retail salespersons, and general or operations managers.

Customer Service Representatives

There are 114,320 customer service representatives employed in the state as of early 2022, making it the sixth most populous state in this regard. The median annual salary for this type of position is $37,080, indicating that Arizona fares better than the national median of $37,550 (as of the start of 2022). Texas is quite clearly the market leader, having a staggering 291,260 such professionals working in the state - a distinction that Arizona falls far short of (though only by 61%).

Retail Salespersons

The retail salesperson occupation in Arizona is well in-line with the national median, providing a median salary close to $30k. It should come as no surprise then, that most of its neighbors fare better in comparison. This gives Arizona the 11th rank for retail sales pay, while not being too far off from its close neighbor Iowa, which boasts a median of just over $39,000. Most of the highest performers in this domain can make quite a bit of money, with a bonus potential of up to 142%.

General and Operations Managers

The general manager profession is incredibly popular in the Copper State, with 73,980 such professionals employed (or 2.11% of the nations total). This gives Arizona the 14th spot in the rankings and falls behind Indiana, which employs almost 103,000 people. On the note of compensation, Arizona is far down the list, paying out a median salary of $78,530 - far less than the national median of $94,560 (which is 17% lower).