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College isn’t for everyone. Sure, earning a degree will improve
your income potential, but skyrocketing tuition costs are a deterrent
for some. Others choose not to continue their schooling for a host of
reasons, from family obligations to a desire to start collecting a
full-time paycheck.
You can still find a good job without a college degree.
According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 30%
of high school graduates make better money than college grads. It's just
a matter of picking the right career field.
To identify the ten best jobs you can get without a college
degree, we focused on two critical factors: salary and job growth. We
started with the more than 300 professions that the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics classifies as requiring only a high-school diploma or
post-secondary non-degree (typically awarded by a trade school or
vocational training program). We trimmed the list by filtering for jobs
with annual salaries well over the national median of $41,444 and
projected long-term growth rates above the average of 14%.
Check out these ten great jobs you can land without a college degree.
10. Manufacturing Sales Reps
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Median salary: $52,440 (U.S. median: $41,444)
Current workforce: 1,430,000
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 16% (Average: 14%)
Projected new jobs by 2020: 223,400
Wholesale and manufacturing sales reps who specialize in
non-technical products make 27% more than the typical full-time worker –
a far cry from your local Avon lady or Tupperware party-peddler. Unlike
those salespeople, wholesale reps market directly to businesses and
government agencies. The pay is good, the opportunities numerous and,
for most employers, a high school diploma is enough to land a job or a
spot in a one-year paid training program. The median salary for sales
reps in technical and scientific fields is a heftier $73,710, but those
jobs usually require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
9. Telecommunications Equipment Installers
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Median salary: $54,710
Current workforce: 194,900
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 15%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 28,400
Software engineers and computer scientists aren’t the only
people who benefited from the Internet boom. Thanks to high demand for
high-tech services, telecommunications installers also see growing
opportunities and salaries 32% higher than the national median.
Installers usually work for telecom or building companies, setting up
routers, switchboards and telecom lines in businesses and private homes.
While the work can get technical, most installers don't need a college
degree--trade school or a certificate program will suffice.
8. Insurance Sales Agents
Median salary: $46,770
Current workforce: 411,500
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 22%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 90,200
While few agents are as bubbly as "Flo," the retro salesgirl in
Progressive ads, job prospects in the insurance industry justify a
little giddiness. Typical insurance agents pull in salaries about 13%
above the national median. Analysts expect the industry to add 90,000
jobs in the next decade. And as an added bonus, insurance sales requires
little formal education. Most agents hold a high-school diploma
supplemented by some on-the-job training, as well as a license in the
state where they work.
7. Construction and Building Inspectors
Median salary: $52,360
Current workforce: 102,400
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 18%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 18,400
Of all the construction trades available to job-seekers without
college degrees, building inspection is definitely the best-paid way to
go. Inspectors typically work for local government or private firms,
reviewing plans, monitoring construction sites and checking building
codes for upwards of $52,000 a year. While there are no formal
educational requirements, experience is key. Most employers look for
extensive knowledge of the construction industry, sometimes verified by a
licensing exam.
6. Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters
Median salary: $46,660
Current workforce: 419,000
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 26%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 107,600
Plumbers are in demand almost everywhere in the country--and if
you've ever had a toilet clog or a sink backup, you know exactly why.
The typical plumber makes more than $46,000 a year installing and
repairing pipes and appliances, mostly in homes and businesses.
Pipefitters and steamfitters specialize in pipe systems that carry
chemicals, gases and such. They might work in factories, hospitals,
power plants or other buildings that house these systems. Most plumbers
and fitters learn their trade though apprenticeships.
5. Dry Wall Tapers
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Median salary: $45,490
Current workforce: 22,900
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 35%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 8,000
No high-school diploma? No problem. Tapers are the only workers
on our list who can look forward to good money and strong job growth
without even finishing high school. Tapers work in the construction
industry, preparing walls for painting after installers hang them up.
Most learn on the job from more experienced workers; no apprenticeship
or technical school required. The Labor Department expects contractors
to add some 8,000 jobs by the end of the decade, reflecting growth in
the construction industry as a whole.
4. Electricians
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Median salary: $48,250
Current workforce: 577,700
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 23%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 133,700
The world is more wired than ever before, and both businesses
and homeowners have electricians to thank. More gadgets mean more work
for these skilled workers, who will see nearly 134,000 new jobs added by
2020. The typical electrician makes more than $48,000 per year with a
high school degree and a four-year paid apprenticeship. Major cities
promise the most jobs, but even smaller towns need light: Kokomo, Ind.,
and Bremerton, Wash., have the highest concentration of electricians in
the U.S.
3. Commercial Pilots
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Median salary: $67,500
Current workforce: 32,700
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 21%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 6,900
The average commercial pilot makes $26,000 more than the typical
full-time worker and $13,000 more than the average college-educated
worker. That's a considerable disparity in a profession that has
traditionally required only a commercial pilot's license and some hours
logged at a local flight school. Times are admittedly changing--many
airlines now look for pilots with two- or four-year degrees--but salary
and growth prospects remain strong. Opportunities look particularly good
around major airline hubs, including Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, Miami
and Atlanta.
2. Brickmasons and Blockmasons
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Median salary: $46,930
Current workforce: 89,200
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 41%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 36,100
The population is booming, and so is the construction of new
schools, hospitals and apartment buildings. That’s good news for brick
and blockmasons. These craftspeople make rock-solid salaries working for
construction contractors, especially in growing urban areas. While few
employers require formal education, most masons complete three- to
four-year paid apprenticeship programs to learn the trade. Some pick up
needed skills informally on the job from more experienced masons.
1. Pile-Driver Operators
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Median salary: $47,860
Current workforce: 4,100
Projected job growth, 2010-2020: 36%
Projected new jobs by 2020: 1,500
With just a high school education and some on-the-job training,
pile-driver operators can expect to make 19% more money than the
national median. That's because the job requires some heavy lifting:
Operators typically work on skids, barges, cranes or offshore oil rigs,
using large machines to drive construction supports into the ground. The
Labor Department expects demand to skyrocket over the remainder of this
decade, growing at nearly three times the rate of all other
occupations. Aspiring operators will have the best chances of finding
work along the Gulf Coast, especially in Louisiana, thanks to the
concentration of oil rigs and port operations.
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