Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania

Why Attend Community College in Pennsylvania?

The key benefits of attending a community college in Pennsylvania come down to two key areas: economy and affordability. The economical state of the Keystone State is booming, and with over 5.5 million people working in Pennsylvania, the job market makes room for a wide range of occupations in various pay-levels. For the student worried about affordability, Pennsylvania offers an average of about $4,000 per year for tuition at the top-rated institutions, meaning a financially prudent student can graduate with a degree without taking on any massive student loan debt.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Pennsylvania?

Students looking to get their start on career goals should look no further than the state of Pennsylvania. The state offers 785 unique job types and ranks as one of the most booming economies, overall, in the nation. Sitting just above Louisiana as the 5th most occupied state at 722 job types median. Pennsylvania is a great option for students looking to break into the job market for most occupations, and specifically sits in the 90th percentile when it comes specifically to job quantity. When looking at where the state stands compared to Oregon, Pennsylvania has been able to make the most of their workforce, adding over 3.7 million tradespeople and professionals to their numbers!

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Pennsylvania?

For those looking to start their after-college career, there are some great options in the Keystone State.

Nursing Assistants

Nursing assistants make up the fifth most populous job in Pennsylvania with 68,180 individuals employed (as of 2022). For this role, Pennsylvania is ranked 20th in the nation, paying almost $36,000 per year. California, with the greatest number of nurse's aides, offers the the maximum salary of over $94,000 - a difference of 28% in pay.

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

These roles are fifth most populous in Pennsylvania with 66,260 employed (as of 2022). For this role, Pennsylvania is ranked 20th in the nation, paying almost $45,000 per year. California, again, with the greatest number of these professionals, offers the the maximum salary of over $170,580 - a much more significant difference of 61% in pay.

Waiters and Waitresses

Taking the eight spot for most amount employed (61,970 as of 2022) are waiters and waitresses. For this role, Pennsylvania is ranked only 21st of all the states, paying a median annual salary of $23,690. In California, where you’ll find the highest number of waitstaff (coming it at a whopping 171,630 workers in the same position. In terms of compensation, the national median is $22,730 (represnted best by North Dakota), so Pennsylvania has a slight 4.2% edge. in this orle in particular, there is substantial upside for top performers, BLS data shows that for top-performers (those in the 90th percentile) earnings can jump more than 63% from $23,690 to nearly $40,000 per year.