Petty Officer Education Requirements And Courses

Petty officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, petty officers don't need a college education. The most common degree for petty officers is bachelor's degree with 40% graduates, with only 25% petty officer graduates earning high school diploma. Petty officers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or American University. Some good skills to have in this position include preventative maintenance, law enforcement and logistics.

Popular petty officer certifications include EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA), Certified Aviation Manager (CAM), or First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor. To improve petty officer qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in petty officer education paths.

What education do you need to become a petty officer?

What degree do you need to be a petty officer?

The most common degree for petty officers is bachelor's degree, with 40% of petty officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 25% and high school diploma degree at 24%.

Bachelor's, 40%

High School Diploma, 25%

Associate, 24%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a petty officer?

You should major in business to become a petty officer. 25% of petty officers major in business. Other common majors for a petty officer include criminal justice and general studies.

Business, 25%

Criminal Justice, 11%

General Studies, 8%

Electrical Engineering, 7%

Other Majors, 49%

Best majors for petty officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.4%
2	Criminal Justice	10.7%
3	General Studies	8.3%
4	Electrical Engineering	6.8%
5	Management	4.6%

Show more common petty officer majors

20 best online courses for petty officers

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Average petty officer salary by education level

According to our data, petty officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $51,120 annually. Petty officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $44,541.

Petty officer education level	Petty officer salary
Master's Degree	$51,120
High School Diploma or Less	$37,638
Bachelor's Degree	$44,541
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,095