STARSight offers an opportunity on the Assess page to view data about specific occupations, illustrating where skilled STARs are currently employed. This includes roles typically associated with barriers to entry, such as those requiring a license with a bachelor’s degree.
Opportunity@Work’s Research team has compiled information about a few licensed roles STARs are known to hold, as well as the alternative requirements that might enable hiring or licensure without a bachelor’s degree.
Stars make up 27% of Registered Nurses (RN) nationally
Nearly all states accept an associate’s degree as the education requirement for taking the NCLEX-RN exam for RN licensure. In 2023, there were approximately 1 million STARs in RN roles nationally.
Additionally, many states offer alternative pathways to licensure or participate in a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) program. Those states have a significantly higher share of STARs in RN roles (29%) than states that do not offer alternative pathways (23%).
Here are a few state examples of how this benefits STARs in the nursing industry:
- New York is the only state requiring RNs to obtain a bachelor’s degree within 10 years of licensure. In 2023, 23% of NY State RNs were STARs (50k).
- Some states, like Pennsylvania, have hospital-sponsored diploma programs (in place of an associate’s degree) that are accepted for the NCLEX-RN exam education requirements. In 2023, 41k STARs, or 25% of Pennsylvania RNs, were able to utilize this alternative pathway and practice as a licensed RN.
- The state of California offers a 30-hour credit program for Licensed Vocational Nurses to take the NCLEX-RN exam without an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
STARs make up 11% of Accountants and Auditors
Currently, all states require 120-150 hours of college credit to qualify for a state CPA license exam, which is likely at least a bachelor’s degree's worth of credits, and requires either a degree or sufficient coursework in accounting.
Some STARs may have previously accessed the CPA exam in a few states where alternative education requirements were formerly offered, but STARs are more likely to find access to related roles in the Accounting and Auditing occupation through alternative career pathways.
- In 2023, 185k STARs were employed as Accountants or Auditors, which does not always require a CPA license.
- One of the gateway roles to being an Accountant or Auditor is as an Accounting or Auditing Clerk, which STARs might have access to along a career pathway by developing transferable skills in occupations such as Customer Service, Receptionists and Information Clerks, Billing and Posting Clerks, Bank Tellers, and Bill and Account Collectors.
For more information, this download offers a detailed analysis of licensure requirements and alternative pathways for these roles and others.