About two in three jobs paying $50,000 a year or more in Wisconsin require some sort of college degree, according to new nonpartisan research. And that demand for a degree is expected to increase.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Policy Forum analyzed the state’s projected job openings from 2020 to 2030, how much those jobs pay and what type of degree is usually needed to get one. Released this month, the research puts Wisconsin-specific numbers to a national issue that lawmakers, educators and students alike are grappling with: how to make higher education accessible and affordable, especially given the time and money it takes to earn a degree.

An analysis by the University of Wisconsin-Madison found Wisconsin’s student loan debt is low compared to most other states. Federal student loans still directly affect more than a half-million Wisconsin residents — an estimated 715,800 people — for an average of $32,230 in loans each; that’s nearly one in four people in the labor force, according to 2020 data.

Wisconsin is incentivizing K-12 schools to create programs to give high schoolers experience firsthand with jobs and college before they graduate. In part, that’s in response to the cost of college and workforce shortages. More high schoolers statewide are participating in dual enrollment programs, for example, which allow them to earn free or low-cost college credits. State lawmakers have recently increased funding pools for youth apprenticeship and high school programs leading to credentials in high-demand jobs.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s recently released report defines a “high-paying job” as paying at least $50,000 annually. That’s equivalent to $24.04 an hour, according to a wage calculator by financial company ADP. The definition of a “living wage” changes based on whom you ask, but a commonly cited calculator by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology defines it as $16.06 an hour, or just over $33,000 annually, for a single person or $35 an hour, or just under $73,000 annually, for household of one adult, and one child.

Either way, those wages are much higher than Wisconsin’s minimum wage of $7.25, or hourly pay for its most common, lowest-paying jobs. For example, school bus monitors are paid an average of $12.60 an hour; child care workers $13 and home health care aides $14.09, according to Wisconsin-specific data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

More: Wisconsin politicians have specific goals for careers-focused education. What are they?

Report: For jobs paying over 50K annually, 58% usually require a four-year degree

Whether because of retirements or career changes, job projections suggest an average of 357,000 positions need filling annually from 2020 to 2030.

Most of those open jobs — three in four — don’t require a college degree and pay less than $50,000 a year.

The question of how to get a higher-paying job often comes down to training. Focusing their research just on jobs paying at least $50,000 annually, researchers from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found:

• 58.1% of jobs generally required at least a four-year degree;
• 5.9% generally required a two-year degree, certificate or technical diploma;
• 36.1% generally required related training or experience, but not a traditional degree.

Of the most in-demand, higher-paying jobs in Wisconsin, the one most in demand through 2030 is nursing. The field sees more than 3,600 openings each year and pays an average annual salary of $73,540. Becoming a registered nurse at minimum requires a two-year degree associate’s degree, although many prospective nurses go through four-year degree programs.

Just 7% of job openings in Wisconsin pay at least $75,000 annually. Of those, 91% require at least a bachelor’s degree, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum analysis.

Still, 1 in 3 higher-paying jobs don’t come with requirements for traditional degree

Reading between the lines, the Wisconsin Policy Forum report suggests a substantial portion of jobs paying over $50,000 a year —  over one in three, or 36% — don’t require a college degree.

Five of the 10 most in-demand, higher-paying jobs in Wisconsin through 2030 fall into that category. They include:

• Sales representatives, such as in manufacturing and wholesale
• Agricultural managers, such as farmers and ranchers
• “First-line supervisors of production and operating workers,” a job title used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to describe managers in several industries, such as manufacturing and retail
• “First-line supervisors for office and administrative support workers,” another U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics title, which describes office or administrative managers in industries like manufacturing, transportation, business support or health care
• Carpenters

Many high-paying jobs that don’t technically require a degree do require apprenticeships. That means they still come with time spent in a classroom and, often, years of on-the-job training.

Apprenticeships in Wisconsin are overseen by the Department of Workforce Development. State standards require apprentices to spend at least 144 hours taking classes related to their profession, usually through a technical college. Employers must also pay an hourly wage for an apprentice’s time learning in the classroom. The state does not require employers to cover tuition or per-credit costs, although many do in exchange for employment commitments.

More: What’s a good paying job in Milwaukee? These are the industries with the highest-paid workers

Cleo Krejci covers higher education, vocational training and retraining as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. Support her work with a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/RFADonation.