Best Community Colleges in Hawaii

Why Attend Community College in Hawaii?

Attending college in Hawaii is an experience that many students dream of - with its beautiful beaches, lush rainforest, and vibrant culture. While there are many prestigious four-year institutions and a few universities available, there are also great community college options. Options like the University of Hawaii Maui College, Kauai Community College, and Windward Community College offer a unique educational experience and still produces quality graduates at a fraction of the cost of many big-name college.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Hawaii?

Hawaii has 584 unique job types - ranking it 43rd in the country - with a median of 722. Though lower than the national median, this is still an impressively diverse range of options. The state is also well-known for its tourism industry, with more than 548 thousand people employed in the state - putting it in the 16th percentile of state labor forces. Unfortunately, Hawaii misses the median substantially with Oregon by -70.0% (-1,276,960) – but with a diverse economy and booming tourism industry, Hawaii still boasts a healthy job market.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Hawaii?

With the majority of its jobs stemming from the tourism industry, some of the most common jobs in Hawaii are janitors and cleaners, security guards, and waiters and waitresses.

Janitors and Cleaners

Janitors and cleaners typically make $30,100 a year in Hawaii, making it the 19th highest median wage for this job title. That salary is higher than 64% of the other states. However, though it ranks in the 40th spot for janitor/cleaner employment with 11,080 positions, there are still a whopping 203,560 more positions in the country leader California, a difference of 95%.

Security Guards

For a state that relies heavily on tourism, it’s not surprising that the security sector is heavily populated. With 9,100 security guards in the state and a median wage of $36,590, Hawaii ranked 7th in the nation for this position - making it a rather competitive field. Though it’s worth noting that Hawaii has 94% fewer jobs than the lead state in this category, California.

Waiters and Waitresses

Finally, rounding out the top 3 is waiters and waitresses, where there are 8,560 positions and a wage of $28,380. Hawaii ranks 13th in the nation in wage level, which is higher than 76% of other states. The median wage is just over 4% higher than the national median wage, so if you’re looking for pay relative to the national standard, Hawaii is a great choice. For those that are particularly successful, there’s even an extra 168% bonus potential - with the median wage in this sector being found in North Dakota, coming in at around $22,730 annually.