General Laborers: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of general laborers about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for general laborers to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of general laborers expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for general laborers.
What Education & Experience is Needed for General Laborers?
Do general laborers need a degree? What kind of experience do general laborers typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for general laborers to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for General Laborers
Jobs Postings for General Laborers By Education
- No Education Listed: 1,767 (56%)
- Bachelor's degree: 731 (23%)
- High School or GED: 303 (10%)
- Master's degree: 251 (8%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 96 (3%)
No education was listed by most employers of general laborers. According to job data, no education was required for 56% of positions. In 23% of job listings a bachelor's degree was required and in 10% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for General Laborers
Jobs Postings for General Laborers By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 235 (24%)
- 2-3 Years: 364 (38%)
- 4-6 Years: 268 (28%)
- 7-9 Years: 72 (7%)
- 10+ Years: 25 (3%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for general laborers. In 38% of job postings for General Laborers, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 28% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 4-6 years of experience, while 0-1 years of experience was sought in 24% of job postings for general laborers.
What Kind of Degree Do General Laborers Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for general laborers, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 10 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective general laborers, and in 2021 a total of 147,973 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective general laborers.
Top Degree Programs for General Laborers
Top 5 Degree Programs for General Laborers (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Political Science and Government, General. | 47,413 |
| Sociology, General. | 38,336 |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. | 32,143 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Operations Management and Supervision. | 7,115 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Political Science and Government, General. | 47,413 |
| Sociology, General. | 38,336 |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. | 32,143 |
| Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General. | 18,408 |
| Operations Management and Supervision. | 7,115 |
| Labor and Industrial Relations. | 1,752 |
| Fire Services Administration. | 1,450 |
| Dispute Resolution. | 644 |
| Sociology and Anthropology. | 541 |
| Labor Studies. | 171 |
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Degree Options for General Laborers
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- Years To Complete: 3
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What Skills Do General Laborers Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by general laborers to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for general laborers, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's General Laborers
Based on 2,800 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for General Laborers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Relations | 608 | 22% |
| Employee Relations | 321 | 11% |
| Collective Bargaining | 271 | 10% |
| Arbitration | 219 | 8% |
| Legal Hearings | 170 | 6% |
Top 5 Common Skills for General Laborers
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 666 | 24% |
| Management | 619 | 22% |
| Negotiation | 453 | 16% |
| Writing | 391 | 14% |
| Leadership | 323 | 12% |
Based on 2,800 job postings related to general laborers, labor relations was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 22% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for employee relations, collective bargaining, arbitration, legal hearings and labor law were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for general laborers, followed by management, negotiation, writing, leadership and research.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Relations | 608 | 22% |
| Employee Relations | 321 | 11% |
| Collective Bargaining | 271 | 10% |
| Arbitration | 219 | 8% |
| Legal Hearings | 170 | 6% |
| Labor Law | 168 | 6% |
| Conflict Resolution | 157 | 6% |
| Appeals | 138 | 5% |
| Mediation | 128 | 5% |
| Fire Protection | 115 | 4% |
| Promotional Merchandise | 110 | 4% |
| Human Resource Management | 103 | 4% |
| Auditing | 102 | 4% |
| Contract Management | 102 | 4% |
| Warehousing | 98 | 4% |
| Project Management | 93 | 3% |
| Data Analysis | 90 | 3% |
| Accounting | 88 | 3% |
| Performance Management | 88 | 3% |
| Industrial Relations | 80 | 3% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 666 | 24% |
| Management | 619 | 22% |
| Negotiation | 453 | 16% |
| Writing | 391 | 14% |
| Leadership | 323 | 12% |
| Research | 319 | 11% |
| Customer Service | 302 | 11% |
| Problem Solving | 282 | 10% |
| Investigation | 277 | 10% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 254 | 9% |
| Lifting Ability | 240 | 9% |
| Operations | 224 | 8% |
| Microsoft Excel | 223 | 8% |
| Microsoft Office | 211 | 8% |
| Detail Oriented | 201 | 7% |
| Planning | 191 | 7% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 165 | 6% |
| Coordinating | 156 | 6% |
| Verbal Communication Skills | 146 | 5% |
| Computer Literacy | 144 | 5% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about general laborers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for general laborers.
What do general laborers do?
How much do general laborers make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.