ILPC 2027

Economic research on the outcomes associated with training and credentialing tend to focus on the wage premium enjoyed by credential-holders or the effect of credential attainment on turnover. However, this focus misses the potential effect of human capital accumulation on workers’ subjective well being and satisfaction with their work. Indeed, for many workers, having a meaningful and satisfying career may be a higher priority than maximizing one’s income; job satisfaction is therefore an important dimension on which to consider the effect of credentialing on workers.

This study will use nationally-representative data on American workers with a college degree (the National Survey of College Graduates) to examine the effect of credential attainment and other activities indicative of investment in one’s occupation (e.g., voluntary training, association membership) on job satisfaction, especially in later life. I plan to specifically focus on the effect of the attainment of occupational certifications, which are competency-based credentials issued by trade, industry, and professional associations and commonly earned at later career stages, on respondents’ levels of satisfaction at different phases of their careers. Consistent with prior research on the nursing profession, I expect to find evidence that certification attainment is positively related to job satisfaction across the American labor market, even when controlling for occupation-level variance in who might be most likely to pursue certification.

My analysis will emphasize differences at the occupation level in the effect of certifications on satisfaction and identifying those occupations where certification seems to hold the strongest promise of improving workers’ subjective well-being on the job, pointing to differences between occupations in the extent to which their credentialing bodies create certifications that support the practitioners they serve on a variety of dimensions. Findings from this research may support the establishment of interventions that encourage participation in certification programs or other forms of engagement with occupational institutions as a means of improving workers’ welfare on the job, rather than just a means of building income.