{"id":24656,"date":"2026-09-05T18:14:22","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T18:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/?page_id=24656---c842e88e-48a4-4305-bd42-109a2148be0c"},"modified":"2026-10-01T21:05:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T21:05:54","slug":"will-only-having-an-associates-degree-allow-me-to-get-a-nursing-job","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/associates-degrees\/will-only-having-an-associates-degree-allow-me-to-get-a-nursing-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Only Having an Associate’s Degree Allow Me to Get a Nursing Job?"},"content":{"rendered":"

An associate\u2019s degree in nursing is one of the fastest online associate\u2019s degrees<\/a> you could earn, but will it qualify you to actually become a nurse? Unlike associate\u2019s degree programs in education, psychology or a natural science, yes \u2013 an associate\u2019s degree can prepare you for a nursing career without requiring an additional degree. Both the associate\u2019s degree in nursing (ADN) and an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree are recognized paths to attain your nursing license, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a> (BLS). However, the job prospects for a nurse with an associate\u2019s degree \u2013 including the potential job titles, work environments and specializations and certifications available \u2013 may be different from those for nurses with a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

The Job Prospects for Nurses With an Associate\u2019s Degree<\/h2>\n

Like nurses with a bachelor\u2019s degree, nurses with an AND or ASN degree are eligible to become registered nurses, or RNs. In fact, 66 percent of registered nurses report an associate\u2019s degree as their highest level of education, O*NET<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

In many respects, the job outlook for RNs with an associate\u2019s degree is similar to that of RNs with a bachelor\u2019s degree. You can, generally, work in many of the same settings<\/a> \u2013 including numerous departments within general hospitals, specialty hospitals, outpatient care centers, doctors\u2019 and nursing care offices, home healthcare services, nursing homes and assisted care facilities.<\/p>\n

However, not having a bachelor\u2019s degree may limit your opportunities to some degree. For example, the BLS noted that certain employers, especially hospitals, sometimes require registered nurses to have a bachelor\u2019s degree or give preference to candidates who do. Since 60 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals, having an additional barrier to entry for even some of these positions can limit which jobs are available to you. That employer preference for a bachelor\u2019s degree is one reason that, according to the BLS, registered nurses with a bachelor\u2019s degree will have better job prospects than those with only an associate\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Less traditional work environments for registered nurses with an associate\u2019s degree include health insurance companies and colleges. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Entry-Level Roles, Not Supervisory-Level Roles<\/h2>\n

With your ADN or ASN degree, along with a passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), you qualify for entry-level RN jobs, the BLS reported. You might hold job titles like staff nurse or staff RN. With the right combination of experience and professional credentials, you could also hold a specialized staff nurse position. For example, your job title might be acute care nurse<\/a>, critical care nurse<\/a> or neonatal nurse<\/a>, all at staff nurse levels.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot you can do as an RN with an associate\u2019s degree, but there are also some things you can\u2019t do. If you want to move beyond entry-level job roles, there\u2019s a good chance that you will eventually need to advance your education. High-level job titles like Director of Nursing usually require at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and even most charge nurse<\/a> positions go to candidates with a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not only job title and position level that are restricted when your highest level of nursing education is an associate\u2019s degree. There may also be limits on the specializations you can work in and the certifications you can pursue. In California<\/a>, for example, you must have a bachelor\u2019s degree to be qualified to work as a public health nurse, The Houston Chronicle<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n

Nurses with all levels of education often seek basic certifications like basic life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). However, if you want to acquire certain in-demand specialized certifications<\/a>, not having a bachelor\u2019s degree may prevent you from reaching your goals. Likewise, if you ultimately want to become a nurse practitioner or another type of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), you will need not only to go on to earn your bachelor\u2019s degree but also graduate-level studies in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program.<\/p>\n

Whether you come to the field with an associate\u2019s degree or a bachelor\u2019s degree also affects your income potential. Registered nurses<\/a> with a BSN make up the top 25 percent of earners in the RN profession, which means a couple of extra years of schooling could potentially raise your earning potential by upwards of $10,000 per year.<\/p>\n

For many RNs, earning your associate\u2019s degree is a stepping stone in your nursing education, not the end of your formal studies. Some employers \u2013 and some <\/strong>states<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 make working toward your BSN a condition of hire for candidates with an associate\u2019s degree. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Related Resources:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

What Is the Benefit of a BSN Degree Vs an ADN Degree?<\/a><\/p>\n

What Is the Difference Between an Associate\u2019s in Nursing Degree and a Bachelor\u2019s in Nursing Degree?<\/a><\/p>\n

Which Degree Do You Need to Become a Nurse?<\/a><\/p>\n

For Further Reading:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Top 10 Paying Jobs With an Associate’s Degree<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

50 Highest Paying Associate Degree Jobs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An associate\u2019s degree in nursing is one of the fastest online associate\u2019s degrees you could earn, but will it qualify you to actually become […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":12505,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"mobius_hide_qdf":false,"mobius_hide_el":false,"mobius_limit":"","mobius_degree":"","mobius_category":"","mobius_subject":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24656","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWill Only Having an Associate's Degree Allow Me to Get a Nursing Job? - DegreeQuery.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.degreequery.com\/associates-degrees\/will-only-having-an-associates-degree-allow-me-to-get-a-nursing-job\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Will Only Having an Associate's Degree Allow Me to Get a Nursing Job? 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