Not everyone in this day and age has the money or the time to go out and get a degree. In fact, going to college and university has certainly dropped down the priorities list for most people recently. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be stuck in a low paying job for the rest of your life. Here are the 10 highest paid jobs you don’t need a degree for.
Purchasing Manager
Quite easily one of the most exciting sounding jobs; getting paid to buy things day in day out. A purchasing manager is certainly one career path you don’t need a degree for, and it pays well too. According to statistics the average salary of a purchasing manager in the US is $91,431 and there are just over 72,000 people employed in this role around the country. Although it may sound like the best job in the world, buying stuff all day, there are actually other responsibilities you’ll have to undertake. There’s a lot of meetings to attend, negotiating to become a pro at, and you’ll even have to learn how to review product quality. Most purchasing managers will work in excess of 40 hours a week, also. Mind you, no one is going to sniff at long days if you’re getting paid a small fortune and will have no student loan to pay off… Most purchasing managers work their way up the ranks, so be prepared to put in some hard graft to start making a tidy sum every year.
Sales Reps
It is fairly common knowledge that sales representatives can make a heck of a lot of money, if they’re good at their job. Unfortunately, some sales reps don’t make a lot of money at all. They say that you’re either a born salesperson or not, so although you won’t need a degree for this job you will need to have the right kind of personality. A sales representative’s salary can vary greatly, as much of it is commission based, but a good one can make in excess of $100,000 a year. On average, sales reps in the US make anywhere between $35,000 and $113,000 according to this year’s statistics. This is another career path you’ll have to work your way up in, however, if you want to be making big amounts of money. If you have the motivation and the charisma to sell ice to an Eskimo, then you’ll be successful in sales without a doubt. However, if you find yourself waning every time someone says ‘no thanks’ then sales probably isn’t the right career choice for you.
Shipping and Storage Managers
Okay, so it may not sound as exciting as a purchasing manager role, but people in this industry can still make over $83,000 on average in the US. As long as you have a High School diploma or equivalent then you’ll also find yourself qualified for the job. Shipping, distribution and storage is an industry that just keeps continuing to grow, so you’ll always find that there is a high demand for managers who can do their job well. You’ll need to have a very logical mind, as you’ll be expected to run everything around your warehouse(s) and the distribution of the company’s product(s). Some people in this role do have a degree, but most just work their way up from the bottom of the career ladder You may need to put in a few years stacking boxes and getting to know how the warehouse works, but it will all be worth it when you’re taking home an impressive salary every year. Some shipping, distribution and storage managers can make in excess of $100,000 every year; those years of stacking boxes were worth it then!
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Detectives
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like the idea of becoming a detective?! If you’ve ever read Sherlock Holmes or watched crime dramas on TV, then being a detective definitely sounds like a pretty fun job. And guess what? It pays well too. According to the most recent statistics, the average salary for a detective or criminal investigator is just over $76,000 a year. You don’t need a degree to get into this field but you will be expected to go through quite a bit of training. Many detectives start off by going through the police academy and becoming a police officer. After some years of service you can then go through extra training in order to become a criminal investigator or detective. Then you can choose to stay with the police (as a thank you for all that free training) or set up your own business. If you set up your own private detective business then you can easily make more than the average salary in the US. Whichever path you choose to go down, becoming a detective can be a rewarding career choice; both mentally and financially.
Power Plant Operators
If you think of Homer Simpson when it comes to power plant operators then chances are you need to do a little more research. After all, we don’t think Homer Simpson is taking home an average of $68,100 every year… Everything we do on a daily basis involves some kind of power, which is why power plant operators are such an important part of our lives. These are the people who oversee the generation and distribution for all of the different types of power that we use on a daily basis. You’ll probably start at the bottom of the career ladder if you have no degree, but with the right training (usually provided by the company you work for) you can work your way up to the top level pretty quickly. The only drawback that some people may find is that you would be expected to work in shifts. If you prefer routine and working a 9-5 then this probably isn’t the right career choice for you. However, if shift work doesn’t bother you and you’re keen to make a lot of money, then consider becoming a power plant operator.
Gaming Managers
No, we’re not talking about playing computer games for a living (we wish), we’re actually talking about the casino gaming industry. This industry is one that keeps expanding, with casinos popping up all over the country; long gone are the days when just Las Vegas was known for gaming. This means that you can secure yourself a pretty good job as a gaming manager, in various places all around the world. There are less than 4,500 gaming managers employed in the US, but they’re average salary is a pretty tidy $66,200. Not bad for those who don’t need a degree and therefore have no student debt. Plus, if you go on to manage an extremely well-known casino then you could be looking at a much higher salary than that. And think of all the perks! This is the kind of job where you have to start off at the bottom, probably as a card dealer or bar steward, then work your way up to the top. It may take some years but the gamble (excuse the pun) is almost always definitely worth it.
Transportation Inspectors
We’ll be honest, we didn’t know a job like this existed either. However, these are the kind of people who are making your life easier on a daily basis, without you even knowing it. They’re the kind of people who check that the taxi meters in your local cab aren’t ripping you off. They check that there is disabled access on all your buses and trains. They even double check any luggage and cargo about to be shipped off in freight containers. Transportation inspectors work a really hard job, without any recognition, but they do get paid quite an impressive amount to do so; an average of nearly $66,000 to be exact. This is one job that is expected to continue rising in demand, also, so it’s definitely worth getting your foot in the door now. All you need is a High School education or equivalent and some on-the-job training, before you’re a fully-fledged transportation inspector. Now, where do we sign up?
Mail Carriers
Who knew that the person carrying your mail was making an average of $61,150 every year? Well, they do have to spend their life outside (come rain or shine) so we definitely think they deserve the extra cash. Although many are worried that snail mail is soon to die out, thanks to the internet, there are still plenty of mail carriers working hard in the US; an estimated 307,000 are currently employed as we speak. Jobs in the postal service are on the decline, however, so if you want to make a living out of being a mail carrier then you may want to hurry up and make that move. Work your way up to becoming a superintendent, also known as the boss of the mail carriers, and you could be taking home a lot more money too. If you’re worried about the postal service dying out then consider a job in the parcel delivery industry instead. With more people shopping online, there are bound to be plenty of roles going in the parcel world.
Electrical Power Line Workers
We can’t say we’re that surprised to find out that the people who work on our electrical power lines are getting paid a fair amount of money. After all, it can’t exactly be one of the safest of jobs. We were surprised to find out that most of the electrical power line workers have no degree, however. The people who install and repair the electrical power lines in the US typically only need a High School education and some on the job training, before making an average of $64,170 a year. When you consider how many electrical power lines are constantly being put up, thanks to all of the new technology we use, it is no wonder there is such a high demand for these workers as well. Add in all of the natural elements that bring power lines down (like severe storms) and the demand for these workers is only set to grow. If you’re not too bothered about playing with electricity, then this could definitely be the high paying job for you.
Gas Plant Operators
We have already had a look at power plant operators, but you may find that these jobs can be hard to come about in the US. If you really want to secure yourself a high paying job that is also in high demand, then consider working as a gas plant operator. In fact, any job working with natural resources is bound to be in high demand for quite some time. If you can work on renewable energies, then even better! This can be a dangerous role, especially as gas is so volatile, but you’ll certainly get paid for that extra stress. The average gas plant operator earns around $63,680 on a yearly basis. With no degree to fork out for, free on-the-job training, and a high demand for more people to join up, this is definitely one job to consider if you want to make a decent salary. As long as you don’t mind putting yourself in potential danger, of course…
