Career & salary guide

Know the work.
Understand the pay.

A stronger career decision starts with the actual job: what you do, what employers ask for, and what it pays where you live.

Research a career direction

Go to the source

Look beyond a salary headline.

Occupational wages describe a labor market. They are not WorkforceAP graduate earnings or a promise of a starting offer.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pay, outlook, and entry requirements

The Occupational Outlook Handbook puts job duties, education, pay, and projected employment in one place. Check the data year and the specific occupation.

Explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook

O*NET OnLine

Skills and the day-to-day work

Use occupation profiles to investigate tasks, skills, preparation, and wage information. Compare those requirements with your experience and the program curriculum.

Explore O*NET occupations

Read the number carefully

A median is the middle of a wage distribution, not an entry-level salary. A national figure can differ from pay in your area. Compare the location, year, experience requirements, and hourly or annual basis before using a figure in your plan.

Connect training to the work

Explore a direction.

These search ideas come from the program catalog. They are starting points for research; each role has its own education and experience requirements. Completing a certificate alone does not establish eligibility for a role.

20 programs

Turn research into a decision

Bring better questions
to your next conversation.

  1. Find three current job postings in your area. Note the pay range, required experience, and work schedule.
  2. Compare the recurring skills with the curriculum. Mark the skills you already have and those you need to build.
  3. Ask the team about prerequisites, study time, certification exams, funding eligibility, and available support.
  4. Decide what evidence you could show an employer: a project, work example, credential, or relevant experience.

Make your next step concrete.

Explore training programs, then use your research to discuss the right pathway with the team.

Find my training program Talk with the team

Already enrolled? Sign in to my training.

Looking for WorkforceAP results? See our public impact and evidence page.