These 10 Ten High Paying Jobs Do Not Require Formal Degrees

Hike your earnings with these 10 highest-paying jobs

It’s a well-known fact that one needs good qualifications to land a high-paying job. Hence, most young folks invest their twenties and early thirties going to top-notch universities to pursue promising degrees that can help them fetch their dream job. Many youngsters can’t afford to get these degrees but they can still get into decent jobs to make good money. Here are the top ten high-paying jobs that do not require high-flying degrees.

1. Life coach

Life coaching is a job where the individual coaches and mentors others about the best way to live life. This job can help you transform the lives of many others who follow you. There are no strict regulations about who qualifies as a life coach, which makes it quite easier for people with no experience or knowledge of coaching to brand themselves as a life coach. On average, a life coach in the United States can expect to make $89,680 per year, per Salary.com.

2. Real estate agent

Real estate is not only a good investment avenue but also a lucrative field for those with no degree to make a decent income. Real estate agents make money in the form of commissions by selling or renting out the properties. In the United States, a person just needs to complete mandatory training and pass the license exam. Once they have the license, they can work under a big agency or operate on their own. A real estate agent can expect to make a hefty $96,014 per year, per Indeed.

3. Executive assistant

Executive assistants manage the calendars of the executive leaders in large corporations and help them stay abreast of the meetings ahead of schedule. This job not only gives them high exposure to the industry they operate in but also helps them make good connections with senior people in the market. The job requires basic skills like good communication, Microsoft Office, and prioritization. Even though this job doesn’t need you to get a fancy degree, you can still make $64116 per year, per Indeed.

4. Aerospace technician

Planes and spacecraft have fascinated everyone since their childhood days. What if you could live your childhood dream of being surrounded by planes and still earn? Aerospace technicians are responsible for working on planes and spacecraft and repairing their parts. This job doesn’t require a formal education. One just needs to be well-versed in working with hand tools, and machines and diagnosing the issues. This job pays $85,120 per year, per Indeed. The industry is growing at a good pace with an increase in employment opportunities by over 6% from 2021 to 2031.

5. Software developer

Software development is one of the highest-paying jobs in today's time. To learn programming, one doesn’t need to go to a university. Rather one can attend some boot camps, watch some coding tutorials, and get certifications. If one gets to learn how to code and solve complex problems, then there is nothing stopping you from taking high paychecks from clients and companies. Even freelance software developers make a great amount of money. The average pay for a software developer is $1,12,398 per year, per Glassdoor.

6. Police officer

Being a law enforcement officer is not just a job but also a statement of dignity. To get this respectable job, you don’t need to go to a top-notch college. The basic requirement to become a police officer in the United States is to have a high school diploma. Once you are selected, you get specialized training from the police academy. As a police officer, one can expect to make $66,925, per year in salary, per Glassdoor.

7. Project manager

Project managers are responsible for the coordination of various stakeholders and processes within a project and ensure that the project activities are transitioned smoothly. This job is quite versatile as it requires one to work closely with multiple teams and resolve any disputes or process hurdles that might come in. To be a project manager, one needs to have good communication, problem-solving, and management skills. Even though this job doesn’t require a formal degree, it can be a rewarding one with an average pay of $99,452 per year, per Glassdoor.

8. Elevator installer and repairer

These technicians work round the clock to install new elevators and repair faulty ones. This job can be rather hectic as one needs to be available almost for 24 hours and involves working in closed air-tight spaces. The demand for this job is gradually decreasing but you need to have a high school diploma to land this job. A successful technician needs to be well-versed with hand and machine tools. This job pays a decent salary of $79,027 per year, per Salary.com.

9. Firefighters

Firefighters are universally viewed as heroes as they risk their lives to save humans, animals, and property from the deadly flames. Many kids even dream of becoming a firefighter when they grow up. To become one, you don’t need to attend university. However since this job often requires the individual to operate in emergencies where basic medical knowledge is needed, so one needs to become an emergency medical technician. The entry-level salary for this job is $53,143 per year, per Indeed.

10. Air traffic controller

Air traffic controllers are responsible for giving directions to airplanes and assisting them in completing their journeys. This job is quite interesting as you get to sit in tall towers and have complete visibility of the airplanes flying in the skies. But it comes with a busy schedule, where they need to work day and night to ensure flights are on time and can make it safely to the ground. The job is considered a very rewarding one with an average salary of $85,649 per year, per Glassdoor.