Associate Education Requirements And Courses

Associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, associates don't need a college education. The most common degree for associates is bachelor's degree with 46% graduates, with only 20% associate graduates earning high school diploma. Associates who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or New York University. Some good skills to have in this position include customer service, sales floor and patients.

Popular associate certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate , Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI), or Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI). To improve associate qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in associate education paths.

What education do you need to become an associate?

What degree do you need to be an associate?

The most common degree for associates is bachelor's degree, with 46% of associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 20% and high school diploma degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 46%

High School Diploma, 20%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become an associate?

You should major in business to become an associate. 21% of associates major in business. Other common majors for an associate include law and psychology.

Business, 21%

Law, 10%

Psychology, 7%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 56%

Best majors for associates

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.5%
2	Law	10.1%
3	Psychology	6.6%
4	Accounting	6.1%
5	Finance	5.5%

Show more common associate majors

20 best online courses for associates

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1. Audit - Financial Statement

4.4

(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

2. Real Estate Acquisitions 101

4.7

(1,176)

How To Identify Commercial Properties, Run Due Diligence, Raise Capital, and Close Commercial Real Estate Transactions...

3. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

4.4

(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

4. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

4.6

(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

5. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors

4.3

(489)

The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...

6. The Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp

4.8

(1,270)

The Complete Guide To Advanced Real Estate Financial Modeling For Real Estate Investment Professionals...

7. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp

4.8

(8,299)

The Complete A to Z Guide to Modeling Real Estate Transactions in Microsoft Excel For Smarter Real Estate Investing...

8. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam Guide

4.9

(873)

How To Ace Your Real Estate Financial Modeling Interview Exam For Real Estate Investing Careers...

9. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction

4.5

(781)

Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...

10. Fun food safety and sanitation course

4.6

(539)

The food safety course will help prepare you for safely working in a kitchen and food handler tests like Servesafe...

11. How to Read Financial Statements: Build Financial Literacy.

4.5

(811)

Read financial statements and speak the language of business without the drudgery of a traditional accounting course...

12. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.

4.5

(2,235)

How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...

13. Value Investing: The Complete Financial Statement Analysis

4.3

(988)

Value Investing Mastery - How to Perform Financial Statement Analysis & Financial Ratio Analysis to Find Great Stocks...

14. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

4.5

(2,583)

Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

15. Fundamental Analysis. Understanding Financial Statements

4.7

(443)

Best Financial Analyst course for a career in Capital Markets. A Conceptual course for Global students of stock market...

16. Financial Statement Analysis - Ratio Analysis

4.3

(1,189)

Master the Art of Financial Statement Analysis: Unlocking Insights through Vertical, Horizontal, and Ratio Analysis...

17. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp

4.4

(484)

Blockchain/Crypto Financial Crime Money Laundering Terrorist Financing AML & CTF Regulation Compliance Tools...

18. Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Stmt, Cash Flow

4.5

(574)

How To Quickly Read & Understand The Big 3 Financial Statements: Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow Statement...

19. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course

4.5

(1,604)

Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...

20. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

4.6

(4,258)

Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

Average associate salary by education level

According to our data, associates with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $90,217 annually. Associates with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $88,522.

Associate education level	Associate salary
Master's Degree	$90,217
High School Diploma or Less	$67,999
Bachelor's Degree	$88,522
Some College/ Associate Degree	$72,019