Best Community Colleges in Wyoming

Why Attend Community College in Wyoming?

Wyoming is one of the most naturally beautiful states in the country, and its residents enjoy the relaxation of a more rural pace of life than what most large cities can offer. In terms of higher education, the Gem State offers the budget-conscious student a wealth of options when it comes to community college and selected university programs, with some institutions offering a net price of $5,000 per year or less. One of the best options for Wyoming residents is the University of Wyoming in Laramie, which boasts a robust selection of degree and certificate programs on a budget.

What Career Pathways Are Available in Wyoming?

When considering career prospects, Wyoming isn’t the most densely populated states in the nation, but that doesn’t mean the job market is dry. In fact, the state has a robust catalog of career options, boasting 515 different types of job-specific positions. That’s around 28% below the national median of 700, but there are still plenty of opportunities to choose from. The state also employs around 0.18% of the nation’s labor force and is in the bottom 1 percentile of states, but is still much greater than many other states equal in size.

Some of the primary segments of Wyoming’s job market are natural resource extraction, agriculture and ranching, outdoor recreation, technology, and government services.

What Are The Most Common Jobs in Wyoming?

Although the Gem State has more than 500 job types from which to draw from, there are a few of the most prominent. Some of the most common jobs present in the state are operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, general maintenance and repair workers, and waiters or waitresses.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Wyoming has 3,790 such workers, making it the 37th most populous place for such workers in the nation, but still a long way from the leader in this sector which is Texas who has nearly 40,000 employed. The median salary in Wyoming stands at $61,470, which is 80% higher than the national median - making it the 11th highest paying state for such professionals (but still goes to show that the Lone Star State always beats out the others).

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

There are around 1.4 million maintenance and repair workers throughout the nation, which makes up 0.26% of the entire population. In Wyoming, this accounts for 3,660 people and it comes in at 47th among all states. The median salary of the positions sits at $37,920, which is 34% lower than the national median, but only puts Wyoming at 33rd among all states.

Waiters and Waitresses

A total of 3,640 waiters and waitresses exist in the state and they are the 49th most common job type in Wyoming. They make a median salary of $18,840 annually, which is 82% less than the national median, earning it the 41st spot among all states. It’s also notable that the bonus potential for these positions can be as high as 145%, meaning with the right performance, their salary can nearly triple! The highest paying states for this profession are California, while North Dakota represents the median coming in at $22,730 (Wyoming loses to that figure by about 17%).