Do You Have an Associate’s Degree? Here’s How a Bachelor’s Degree Can Benefit You.

While you may be earning a decent salary with an associate’s degree, and may have even received well-deserved promotions and raises, the thought of what’s next for you career-wise could linger on your mind. Perhaps you’re wondering how or if you can expand upon your skill set, or what it takes to advance to the next level on your career path.

A bachelor’s degree can be even more beneficial than an associate’s degree, in regards to your skills and qualifications, earnings, and advancement opportunities. With a streamlined credit transfer process and employer reimbursement programs among many financial aid options, earning a bachelor’s degree doesn’t necessarily have to be an academic or financial struggle.  Online learning makes it even easier to earn your bachelor’s degree while working full-time and taking care of the responsibilities life may present to you.

Here’s how having a bachelor’s degree can improve your career.

Earning Potential

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly salary for an individual with a bachelor’s degree is $1,156 compared to $819 for an associate’s degree holder. This equates to a $60,112 median annual salary for bachelor’s degree holders, and $42,588 for people with an associate’s degree, which is a difference of $17,524 annually.

Options and Advancement

Hiring managers are often more likely to choose and promote candidates who have a bachelor’s degree, even in fields or positions in which both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are accepted. That might explain why the unemployment rate for individuals with bachelor’s degrees is 2.7%, but 3.6% for those with associate’s degrees.

Job Satisfaction

Those with bachelor’s degrees tend to be more satisfied with their careers and the variety of opportunities available to them in regard to advancement and changing industries. They also tend to have jobs in their field of interest and with better pay, benefits, and job security. Additionally, bachelor’s degrees can be used for more than one career field, compared to an associate’s degree, which is typically intended for pursuit of one specific career path.

Having a bachelor’s degree boasts a wealth of benefits for professionals who seek career advancement,  a variety of options, and more opportunities in addition to better pay and benefits. So, what will you do with your bachelor’s degree?