Best Community Colleges in New York

Why Attend Community College in New York?

Those living in or considering moving to New York for college are in luck as the state is home to numerous high-qualifying community colleges. While some of these might be more expensive than others, New York also offers a number of scholarship and incentive programs (for example, the Excelsior Scholarship) that can help students receive a free ride to a number of state schools. Other cost saving alternatives can be found at local community colleges and places within the SUNY system such as Erie Community College, Ulster County Community College, and SUNY Broome Community College.

What Career Pathways Are Available in New York?

New York is home to 789 different job types, making it the number 4 ranked state overall by that metric. Its ranking of 4th place is 9.3% above the national median (722). That number correlates directly with the entire job market in the state, as New York almost hits the triple digits with 6.15% of the nation’s jobs, or 8,669,050 total professionals. As far as percentage distribution, New York is a full 96.0% above median.

New York is a bustling state because of the metropolitan NYC area, which is where about two-thirds of the state’s 8.6 million jobs are located. With the city itself being a global hub, and many large businesses having offices in and around the city, job opportunities are abundant.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in New York?

Although there are over 700 different job types in New York (789 to be precise), some of the most common are security guards, accountants and auditors, and teaching assistants.

Security Guards

As of 2022, there are 112,410 security guards working in New York; the 2nd most of any state. Compared to the leader (California with 142,040) New York is behind by about -29,630 or -21% - still Maine is still well above the national average. In terms of salary, the New York median is a respectable $37,770, putting it in the 92nd percentile against other state's average - not bad.

Accountants and Auditors

In New York, 111,660 accountants and auditors put the state in the 2nd slot with 8.47% of the 1,318,590 such professionals employed in the nation. As this is one of the highest-paid positions in the country, you won’t be surprised to hear that the median salary in New York is an impressive $97,640 - good enough for the 2nd spot. That pays better than 98% of states!

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary

Also residing in the top 2 for state position distribution, New York has a total of 108,780 teaching assistants or -16% less than the leader in this position (California with 128,790). In terms of salary, New York bests the national median by a healthy 1.7% with an annual median pay of about $29,570. That ranks 21st in the nation, and is just shy of the median of neighboring Nebraska ($29,070). If you put in strong performance, and in some cases, secure a title raise, you can expect a bump in pay of nearly 59%.