It is commonly understood that education is one of the most reliable paths to economic security-- particularly for Black and Latinx people and for people from low-wealth families. But it is less well known that the greatest unmet labor market demand is for workers with "middle skills," who have some postsecondary training but not a 4-year degree. This brief summarizes findings from a study that contrasted two potential paths to middle-skills training: (a) credit-bearing certification, including associate degree programs, and (b) non-credit-bearing certification, including certificate and licensure programs. The study findings discussed in this brief indicate that credit-bearing training improves earnings significantly more than non-credit-bearing training. As such, these findings indicate that policymakers and educational institutions should consider ways to make credit-bearing credentials more accessible.