Contract worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a contract worker. Contract workers usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 47% of contract workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,337 real contract worker resumes to see exactly what contract worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for contract workers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online contract worker courses to help get the education required to be a contract worker.

What education do you need to become a contract worker?

What degree do you need to be a contract worker?

The most common degree for contract workers is bachelor's degree, with 47% of contract workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 15%.

Bachelor's, 47%

Associate, 20%

High School Diploma, 15%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a contract worker?

You should major in business to become a contract worker. 27% of contract workers major in business. Other common majors for a contract worker include accounting and psychology.

Business, 27%

Accounting, 7%

Psychology, 6%

General Studies, 6%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for contract workers

Contract workers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, St. Louis, and Western Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for contract workers in the US based on their resumes.

Contract worker common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	18.14%
St. Louis	6.75%
Western Michigan University	5.06%
American InterContinental University	4.64%
Ohio State University	4.64%

Show more common contract worker colleges

Best majors for contract workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.6%
2	Accounting	7.1%
3	Psychology	6.4%
4	General Studies	6.0%
5	Social Work	4.8%

Show more common contract worker majors

Best colleges for contract workers

The best colleges for contract workers are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A contract worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contract workers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become contract workers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for contract workers

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Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contract workers

The hardest universities for contract workers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for contract workers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for contract workers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average contract worker salary by education level

Contract workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $87,638 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, contract workers earn a median annual income of $78,421 compared to $66,645 for contract workers with an High School Diploma degree.

Contract worker education level	Contract worker salary
Master's Degree	$87,638
High School Diploma or Less	$66,645
Bachelor's Degree	$78,421
Some College/ Associate Degree	$64,841

Contract worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Contract Workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

Search for contract worker jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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