16 High Paying Jobs without a Degree

If you are looking for a list of high paying jobs without a degree, you are at the right place. The labor market has changed drastically over the past decades, and everyone who is thinking about their future should consider this.

Finding a job and building a successful career is not easy, we all know that. But we should definitively change the way we think about our future and focus on getting skills that are valued on the market. So, we must stop thinking that specializing in one area and getting a degree will give us a stable job. Instead, looking for jobs that require only a high school diploma and care more about different skills we have is the right thing to do. Of course, the main purpose why we need a job is getting a salary and you can see that most of these jobs will pay you lot of money.

Some of the jobs you will see may look strange, but I guarantee that you have already heard about most of them. The point is that all of them are very profitable, which is the main reason why many people choose to try them, rather than looking for traditional jobs. Plus, they don’t require any special diploma or experience, making them available for everyone who is willing to work something unusual. You can also see our similar article – 11 Odd Jobs that Pay the Most without a Degree, which we are about to expand wit 16 new jobs.

For creating our list of high paying no-degree jobs, we checked several legit sources. Thanks to BusinessInsider,  CareerCast and AOL, we managed to find the most popular jobs without degree. However, for finding the median salaries we used a credible source, showing the latest changes in the labor market – Bureau of Labor Statistics. In case you don’t know median salary, or salary in the middle, means that half of the workers earned less than that. Without more delays, let’s go through the list of high paying jobs without a degree.

16. Mechanic

Median annual salary $38 470

Mechanics, or service technicians, have a duty of maintaining and repairing cars and light trucks. The job of a mechanic is a complex one, which is why the median salary is $38 470 on a year basis, and it definitively deserves a place on our list.

15. Glazier

Median annual salary $41 920

What is a glazier? It is someone who installs glass, whether it is in windows, skylights or anything similar. It is physically demanding job as these people risk their lives not only from falling off heights, but also from the tools they are working with. That is why glaziers receive $41 920 every year, salary definitively worth the effort.

14. Plumber

Median annual salary $51 450

A plumber is someone who fits and repairs water pipes. This definition looks pretty simple, but in reality this job is much harder than you think. Repairing water systems needs knowledge, but it doesn’t require a degree, so that is why this job is on our list.

13. Electrician

Median annual salary $ 52 720

Logically, after the plumber, here comes the electrician. They install and maintain electrical systems. I don’t need to mention the importance of this job, as almost every device in our homes needs electrical energy to work. This job is paid about $1300 more than the previous one and with $52 720 salary, holds the 13th position on our list.

12. Detective

Median annual salary $61 600

Detectives are performing investigative duties – gatherings facts and collecting evidence for criminal cases. They are working on one case until the criminal is arrested or the case is dropped. If your dream was becoming a detective, maybe now is time to try this job, as it is well paid with $61 600 on a year basis.

11. Boiler-maker

Median annual salary $ 62 060

We are continuing our list of high paying jobs without a degree with boiler-maker that is someone who works in boiler construction. Also, boiler-makers install and repair boilers and other gas or liquid containers. This job is not easy and it is very responsible. These people use a variety of tools in their work and with an annual salary of $62 060, this job goes on the 11th place on our list of high paying jobs without a degree.

10. Web developer

Median annual salary $66 130

A web developer is someone who is capable of building a website on his own. This includes creating programs and applications and also codes for anything you need for your website. The rapid progress of the internet is a reason that web developers are needed so much, so if you decide to earn this way, you won’t make a mistake. There is no earning limit for this, but the median annual salary is $66 130, which deserves a place on our no-degree jobs list.

9. Farmer

Median annual salary $66 360

We are continuing our list of high paying jobs without a degree with farmers that are usually divided into 2 types – ones that are raising animals and other that are growing crops. Basically, the definition of farmer would be a person who is producing food products both for people and animals. This job is very important for the society, so that’s why farmers salaries are even higher than the developers salaries.

8. Gaming manager

Median annual salary $69 180

The duty of a gaming manager is to plan, direct or coordinate casino operations of different games. Some managers are even making the rules of the casino. It sounds quite interesting, but finding a job like this may be difficult as every country has a limited number of casinos and positions available. With a median annual salary of $69 180, it is definitively worth a try.

7. Postmaster

Median annual salary $71 670

A postmaster, the next one on the list of high paying jobs without a degree is someone who plans, coordinates different services that a post office is obligated to provide. The word master, means that the person is a head of the post office and he/she is responsible for the entire process of mail distribution. It is a very responsible job, but well paid one, as the median annual salary reaches incredible $71 670.

6. Dental hygienist

Median annual salary $72 910

The job of a dental hygienist is to clean patient’s teeth, examine any oral diseases and provide preventive care. Patient education is also important, so that also goes to this job description. Every dentist uses a huge variety of tools, for cleaning and polishing and works from a dental office. This job gets a median annual salary of $72 910 and holds the 6th position on our list.

5. Power distributor

Median annual salary $78 370

We are continuing our list of high paying jobs without a degree with power distributors that control electric systems for generating and distributing electrical power. This job is very difficult, as it requires working in shifts, which is always tiring. As the electrical usage is growing, there will be a need for this job position, so you should definitively consider this job with a median salary of $78 370.

4. Elevator installer and repairer

Median annual salary $78 890

I bet you haven’t heard that there is an actual job like elevator installer, but there is. The duties of an elevator installer include installing, fixing and maintaining not only elevators, but also escalators and lifts. They work in elevator machine rooms and the median annual salary they get is $78 890.

3. Nuclear reactor operator

Median annual salary $91 170

The title speaks for itself – the nuclear reactor operator’s duty is to operate with a nuclear reactor. Operating and controlling is not so straightforward as it seems and requires many things like start/stop equipment, control adjustment and so on. It is a very responsible job and with a salary of $91 170 on a year basis, it takes the third position on our list of high paying jobs without a degree.

2. Electrical engineer

Median annual salary $96 270

Electrical engineers are designers, developers and testers of electrical components and systems for different applications. Electric motors, communication, navigation and radar systems are just part of what these engineers do. Mostly, they work indoors, and this job is a very complex one, which is why is paid with $96 270 on a year basis, even $5000 more compared to the previous job position.

1. Commercial pilot

Median annual salary $105 780

A commercial pilot is someone who flies but also navigates airplanes, helicopters and other air vehicles. They work according to previously made schedule and not just for transporting people and cargo, but charter flights and rescue operations are also their duties. They spend most of the time away from home, as this type of transport is made for longer distances. Even though everyone wants their job to be close to their home, maybe the median annual salary of amazing $105 780 will make you change your mind, as this job takes the first place on our list of high paying jobs without a degree.