If you’re on the lookout for a new job that pays well, your timing could not be better. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures, the job market is bouncing back — there were 11 million job openings across the country in late 2023 — and all indications point to a rise in opportunities for people with varying levels of experience, skills, and educational credentials in 2024.
Don’t have a degree? Don’t worry. There are plenty of well-paying jobs you can land without a four-year degree or community college experience. The best part is that instead of spending years paying off debt like student loans, you can leverage your earnings to create real wealth.
This article provides insights into some of the best opportunities for a job seeker who doesn’t have a college degree. It also sets forth valuable information regarding how you can manage that extra income so you create your Rich Life filled with freedom and enjoyment.
Can you get a high-paying job without a degree?
If you’re wondering if you can land a high-paying job with just a high school diploma, the answer is yes. However, while there are plenty of jobs that rely on talent and attitude rather than academics, some may require you to develop certain skills or undertake job training to become competitive in the hiring marketplace.
The time and effort you put into developing new skills to land a high-paying job will be worth it as your income-earning and wealth-achieving potential climb.
Top job sectors for those without a degree
Whether you’re entering the job market for the first time or looking to change careers to increase your prospects and fulfill your dreams, how you approach your job search is going to depend on a number of factors, including your career season and lifestyle preferences.
For example, the job you want and need if you have small children isn’t necessarily the career you’ll be pursuing in middle age or as you move closer to retirement. You may not know precisely what you want to do but you know that you’re looking for a job you can enjoy that aligns with your interests and values.
Of course, you want a job that allows you to pursue the lifestyle that feels most authentic to you and gives you the most satisfaction. Some people enjoy the hustle and bustle of a busy urban life, some like to combine work and travel, and others prefer a laid-back environment where they work when and where they please. It’s always a good idea to keep lifestyle preferences in mind as you search for your new career.
When researching the right direction for your career phase (or season) of life and preferred lifestyle, it’s useful to think about jobs in terms of career sectors and then examine opportunities that align with your natural talents and interests. The BLS breaks jobs down by various employment sectors, including:
- Agriculture
- Business services
- Construction
- Educational services
- Financial
- Health care
- Information
- Leisure and hospitality
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale trade
- Retail trade
- Social assistance
- Transportation and warehousing
Each sector offers job opportunities that don’t require a college degree. For example, there’s a need for sales professionals, customer service representatives, and executive assistants — to name just a few — in every sector.
11 best jobs without a degree
Finding the right job will depend on a lot of factors. Of course, salary is a consideration, as is whether the industry is poised for growth. However, the 11 top jobs listed below should serve as a solid introduction to the types of opportunities out there for workers without a degree in 2024 and beyond.
Commercial pilot
If you’ve always wanted to take to the skies as a commercial pilot, there are plenty of opportunities to do so without obtaining a college degree. While larger commercial airlines may require their pilots to have at least an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, there are other options that would-be pilots can pursue.
For many of these jobs, you can seek training from FAA-certified flight instructors at one of the hundreds of independent flight schools throughout the U.S.
All professional pilots must obtain a commercial pilot’s license, pass regular medical exams, and log hundreds of flying hours, as well as undergo regular flight training updates. The following are examples of professional pilot jobs that don’t require a college degree:
- Cargo pilots: Cargo pilots can work for huge carrier companies — like FedEx or UPS — or private companies that keep a fleet of planes to transport their goods from place to place. Depending on your experience and the size of the company you work for, you could earn anywhere from $80,000 to over $130,000 as a cargo pilot.
- Agriculture pilots: Ag or aerial application pilots used to be called crop dusters, but that was before the chemicals they dispense over crops switched from dust-like pesticides to liquid-based solutions to reduce pests and provide nutrients to crops. Pilots of these small, low-flying planes must have a current U.S. private, commercial, or airline pilot certificate and certifications to transport and disperse chemicals. The salary range is between $48,000 and $72,000 a year, with plenty of opportunities to go higher if you buy your own plane and branch out on your own.
- Aerial firefighter pilots: These pilots aid on-the-ground firefighters by flying over wildfires and dumping flame retardants and massive quantities of water on them. Aerial firefighter pilots must be able to maneuver an aircraft in low-lying situations. Pay for this job can have a wide range, with some starting pilots making around $80,000 and experienced captains on large tankers making about $350,000.
- Private jet pilots: There’s no shortage of business executives, actors, athletes, musicians, and others looking for pilots to operate their private jets. The median salary for a U.S. private jet pilot is around $86,500, with some making upward of $400,000 flying people from place to place.
Sales representative
Sales representatives sell products or services for a company. To be successful at sales, you should be a people person who gets a thrill from prospecting for leads, pursuing and forming relationships with customers, and negotiating and closing deals.
Becoming a sales representative can reap huge rewards if you have the personality and determination to work in a high-pressure, performance-based position.
Sales representative jobs come in two types: inside sales and outside sales. As an inside sales rep — sometimes referred to as a remote or virtual sales rep — you’ll primarily conduct sales activities on the phone, using email, or through video conferencing.
With an outside sales job, you’ll be selling products and services in person through face-to-face interactions at places like the customer’s home, a trade show, or a retail or wholesale sales outlet. Sales are usually referred to as business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) depending on who the customer is.
How much a sales representative makes will depend on the product or service they are selling and the payment structure. Some salespeople are paid a base salary and then some type of commission where they receive a percentage of the amount of each sale.
However, sales reps often work on a 100% commission basis where they don’t get paid unless the sale is closed. Sales reps are often required to meet established sales quotas and their compensation — and even the ability to keep their jobs — can depend on meeting those quotas.
While there are too many types of sales rep jobs to list — practically every business needs good sales professionals to survive — the following are examples of some of the highest-paying sales rep jobs you can pursue without a college degree:
- Real estate agent: Because real estate agents sell property on commission, there’s no cap to how much an industrious real estate professional can make. Nationally, the top 10% of real estate agents make $174,000 or more, while the median salary is around $50,000. You’ll need to complete a real estate course and pass a state licensing exam and background check to become a real estate agent, but you don’t need a college degree.
- Wholesale and manufacturing sales representative: These B2B reps sell manufactured goods to retailers and distributors. Highly competitive, these jobs demand focus and a willingness to travel to the customer. Since this type of rep is paid on commission, they must be willing to hustle in a fast-paced environment to consistently make sales. The average salary for a manufacturer’s sales rep is around $62,000, with top reps making well over $100,000 a year.
- Advertising sales representative: Ad sales reps sell print, broadcast, billboard, and/or internet-based ad space. While having a background in media or design can be useful — advertising sales reps often help their customers design and produce ads — most entry-level positions don’t require any particular degree or prior job experience. Typically commission-only jobs, successful ad reps can make anywhere from $50,000 to over $100,000.
- Insurance sales agent: Insurance sales agents help customers choose and purchase insurance products, such as life, homeowners, renters, and auto insurance. While a college degree isn’t required, you’ll have to obtain a state insurance license, which usually entails taking a course and passing your state’s insurance licensing test. Most insurance sales jobs are commission only, and a typical agent makes in the $50,000 range (though others can make substantially more).
Police officer
If you feel a call to public service, you might want to consider joining the police force as a patrol officer. Cops work long hours — along with patrolling the community, they have to handle a lot of paperwork — and the work can be dangerous. Still, protecting and serving your community can be extremely rewarding.
The average police officer in the U.S. makes close to $67,000 a year, but salary will depend on the size of the community you work in and how long you’ve been on the job. A college degree isn’t required for entry-level policing jobs, but pursuing a college education may become necessary if you want to move up in the ranks.
To enter the police force, you need to pass an entrance exam and attend training at a police academy. With a projected law enforcement job growth of 7% over the next 10 years, you should be able to find plenty of opportunities to enter the policing profession.
Criminal investigator
Criminal investigators (CIs) are in the business of solving crimes. They work with law enforcement officers to analyze crime scenes, gather evidence, and apprehend criminals. To succeed as a CI, you’ll need:
- Good judgment
- Exemplary communications skills
- High attention to detail
- Analytical skills
- The ability to work well in teams
Criminal investigators earn a median wage of nearly $87,000 per year, and you don’t need a college degree to succeed as a CI. Often, CIs have a background in law enforcement, have attended a police academy, and/or have spent some time on a police force.
Elevator technician
If you don’t mind working in tight spaces and don’t have a fear of heights, a career as an elevator installer and repair technician can bring you a salary of almost $90,000 a year.
As a highly skilled technician, you’ll install, maintain, and fix elevators, escalators, and moving walkways. Be prepared to be on-call at all hours and to work your share of overtime, though, as elevator breakdowns don’t always happen during regular business hours.
While no degree is necessary — elevator technicians learn their trade through apprenticeships — you’ll have to obtain a state certificate of competency and/or a license. The growth rate for elevator techs is projected to be a steady 6% over the next decade, so the job outlook for anyone wanting to explore this trade is good.
…but you don’t have to take the same path as everyone else. How would it look if you designed a Rich Life on your own terms? Take our quiz and find out:
Electrician
With about 85,000 job openings for electricians each year — and a median annual wage nearing $57,000 — becoming an electrician can be a great career for someone without a four-year degree. Some electricians make close to $100,000 a year, so there are plenty of opportunities to grow in the trade.
Electricians have a lot of responsibility, as they need to be able to do the following:
- Interpret blueprints and technical diagrams
- Install and maintain wiring, control, and lighting systems
- Inspect transformers, circuit breakers, and other electrical components
- Employ testing devices to identify electrical problems
- Use hand and power tools to repair or replace wiring, equipment, or fixtures
- Follow state and local building regulations and comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC)
- Direct workers who are installing, maintaining, or repairing electrical wiring or equipment
To become an electrician, you’ll need to attend a technical school and/or undergo an apprenticeship. Depending on where you live, you’ll also need to obtain a state license or certification by passing an exam and providing proof that you have the requisite on-the-job experience.
Power plant operator
If you like the idea of working on the power grid that keeps the country powered up and moving, a career as a power plant operator might be right up your alley.
While a college degree isn’t required, employers look for candidates who understand math — particularly algebra and trigonometry — and have an electrical or science background. Training is typically on the job with some formal classroom study and licensing required, especially if you enter the nuclear power field.
With median pay at just under $90,000, becoming a power plant operator, distributor, or dispatcher can be a rewarding career. Specific jobs in the industry include:
- Nuclear power reactor operators: These individuals control nuclear reactors by adjusting control rods, which affect how much electricity a reactor generates. They’re also tasked with monitoring reactors, turbines, generators, and cooling systems to ensure that power levels are maintained and safety protocols are met.
- Power distributors and dispatchers: Also called systems operators, these individuals control the flow of electricity as it travels from generating stations to substations and the homes and businesses they serve.
- Power plant operators: These operators control and maintain the machinery that generates electricity.
Structural ironworker
Structural iron and steel workers — usually referred to as structural ironworkers — work to form and support buildings, bridges, and roads. Their job is to erect, place, and join the steel girders, columns, and other pieces that make up structural frameworks. They also may assemble pre-cut metal buildings and install pre-cast walls or work with wood or composite materials.
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers — sometimes called rod busters — position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms for purposes of reinforcement.
The median salary for structural ironworkers is around $55,000, with rebar workers making just under $50,000 per year. The work is physically demanding and can be dangerous, especially since ironworkers often work at great heights.
No degree is necessary as training is on the job. Projections are for ironworker job openings to increase at a rate of 6% — which translates to about 10,000 job openings a year — over the next 10 years.
Executive assistant
If you know your way around a spreadsheet, have natural organizational abilities, and like the idea of helping successful people achieve even more success, a job as an executive assistant might be for you. Typically, executive assistants provide high-level support for the top executives of an organization. Their duties often include:
- Managing the clerical staff
- Reviewing incoming documents
- Performing research
- Preparing reports, invoices, and memos
- Drafting emails and other correspondence
- Maintaining the executive’s schedule
While no degree is required, the job of executive assistant comes with a lot of responsibility, and the salary reflects that. The median salary is more than $60,000 and the most experienced executive assistants make in excess of $75,000.
Web developer
The internet has opened up a world of opportunities for self-starters who don’t have a college degree. Self-taught web developers who have a thorough understanding of programming languages (e.g., HTML, JavaScript, or SQL), understand multimedia publishing tools, and keep up to date as new computer languages and tools develop are in high demand.
As a web developer, you’ll create and maintain websites. You may become involved in creating content, overseeing a site’s performance and capacity, or managing a site’s overall appeal and functionality. Some web developers are involved with gauging and improving the site’s overall user experience (UX).
Employers care about performance and experience, so be prepared to show them a portfolio of your work and certifications or other credentials that show your expertise in web design and development if you want to snag a high-paying web development job.
The median salary is around $77,000, with close to 18,000 new web developer jobs being available each year at least until 2030.
Copywriter
If you’re the kind of person who loves the lilt of language, cares about commas, and has strong grammar chops, a career as a copywriter could be for you.
The job of a copywriter is to produce crisp, clear, and engaging material that’s appropriate to the relevant channel. A copywriter might produce copy for any of the following:
- Website landing pages
- Social media
- Blogs
- Print or digital publications
- Sales collaterals
- Email funnels
- White papers
- Case studies
- Advertisements (print and digital)
- Video scripts
While some employers will insist on a four-year degree, most only care about seeing a strong writing portfolio and whether you’re capable of producing original content on deadline and according to specifications. Knowledge of search engine optimization (SEO) and other marketing tools is always a plus.
The median salary for copywriters in the U.S. is around $67,000 per year for full-time employees. Freelance copywriters, depending on their experience, can command anywhere from $40 to $300 per hour. Projections are that there will be 15,000 new opportunities for writers to gain employment every year in the U.S. over the next 10 years.
How to earn as much as possible without a degree
Your income-earning potential is tied to one thing: your ability to forge ahead with a can-do attitude, refusing to let anyone or anything — including not attending a four-year college — get in your way.
Work on honing your skills, gaining solid work experience, and creating a solid network to help bolster your career competitiveness. Know your worth so you can move up to the next level in your job by asking for a promotion or move on to the next job on your career path when the time is right.
When it comes to being qualified for the highest-paying job in your field, employers are concerned with the value you can bring to the table. The more value you bring, the more valuable you’ll become to your employer and the higher the salary you’ll command.
As long as you keep learning and improving, you’ll reach your true earning potential.
What to do when you start earning more
Of course, getting a great-paying job without a degree isn’t the ultimate goal. Nobody works just for the money; you work for the things the money can bring you. You’ve probably thought about what you would do with extra money if you got a high-paying job, but what if that new high-paying job was just the beginning?
Instead of just working on your next career, why not work on achieving what really matters to you at the same time? The I Will Teach You to Be Rich philosophy will help you achieve all that you are capable of. (Spoiler alert: You’re capable of a lot!)
A good place to begin is by assessing your real earning potential, which you can do by taking this quiz. Then, check out all the free resources we offer to help you work less and earn more.
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