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50 High Paying Career ideas That Don’t Need a Degree

Do you desire a job that pays well but you didn’t attend university? If YES, here are 50 high paying career ideas that don’t need a college degree. The fact that you do not have a college degree does not in any way stop you from pursuing a high paying career. Of course, there are loads of diploma holders and even high school graduates who earn several thousands of dollars from their chosen careers.

The truth is that if you take your time to study various industries, you will realize that there is room large enough for non – degree holders to grow through the corporate ladder. No doubt, having a college degree is one of the fastest ways to grow in the corporate world and earn pretty good salary, but the truth remains that there are careers that are after your skills as against your college degree.

If you can get employment in such company, you will earn good pay if you are productive. Come to think of it, having a degree is no longer a guarantee that you will get employed in a high paying company; you need to prove that you have the skills to do the job.

Take for example, the ICT industry is not about a college degree, it is about certifications and the results you can produce, as well as the problem you can solve. Also, bear in mind that without a degree, you can get professional certifications in industries that pay pretty good salaries. Here are 50 high paying career ideas that you don’t need a college degree for;

50 High Paying Career ideas That Don’t Need a College Degree

  1. Military

In the of America and in most developed countries, the military is one highly respected career that pays high, and the good thing about it is that people without college degrees are recruited into the military. Please note that if you join the military without a college degree, there is a limit to how far you can grow through the rank and file, but you are sure of earning good pay compared to your peers without college degree working for some other organizations.

  1. Software Apps Developer/Programmer

If there is any industry that has an appreciable number of multi – millionaires and even billionaires who don’t have college degrees, the ICT industry readily comes to mind. Talk about Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg et al – these are people without college degree, but they are billionaires.

So, if you are looking for a high paying career that don’t need a college degree, then one of your best bet is to pursue software apps development. In this career path, you are in a better position to determine how much you want to earn. It is an industry that rewards you for the problem you can solve and not the college degree that you bring to the table.

  1. Standup Comedy

Standup Comedy is yet another career that a person without college degree can pursue and still earn pretty high salary. Of course, it is not everybody that can become a standup comedian, but if you know that you are gifted in that regard, then you should think towards pursuing a career as a standup comedian. The truth is that as a professional standup comedian who knows his or her worth, you are going to determine how high you want to earn in your career.

  1. Acting (Movie Industry)

You must have heard or seen some actors and actress who don’t have college degrees but are earning far higher than most professionals who have multiple college degrees. If you know you have what it takes to act but you don’t have a college degree, then you should consider going into the movie industry. It is one industry that is open to all and sundry irrespective your academic qualifications.

  1. Sailor

Another high paying career idea that don’t necessarily need a college degree is to become a sailor. Although people with college degrees are in the helm of affairs in this career path, but any serious and hardworking person without a college degree can do pretty well in this career. All you need to do to earn high in this industry is to pass all the necessary competence exams and acquire the needed certifications.

  1. Forex Trading

Forex trading is yet another high paying career that someone without a college degree can pursue. If you have good analytics skills and you have sound knowledge on cash flow and the exchange market, you can do well as a forex trader without necessarily having a college degree.

  1. Professional Footballer

Without blinking an eyelid, you can count over 20 professional footballers who are multi – millionaires and who don’t even have High School Diplomas. This goes to show that pursuing a profession as a footballer will guarantee that you earn pretty high especially if you are skillful and sign a contract with a topflight football club in Europe or even North America and Asia.

  1. Freelance Journalism/Writing

Freelance journalism/writing is nonetheless another high paying career idea that don’t need a college degree. If you are a skilled and creative writer and you are able to undergo trainings that will help you fine-tune your skills, then you can earn good income as a freelance journalist. One good thing about this career path is that you can work for a multinational media house as a reporter even in your dialect.

  1. Salesman/Saleswoman

Becoming a salesman or saleswoman is one career that can be a determiner of how high you want to earn since most sales jobs pay commissions. One good thing about this career path is that without a college degree you can determine how high you want to earn especially if you know how to meet and surpass your targets. Although having a college degree in marketing will give you an edge as a salesman or saleswoman, but having a college degree without generating sales for the organization you work for can earn you a sack.

  1. Truck Driver

In the United States, Europe and in most countries of the world, truck drivers that transport goods from one country to another earn pretty high; they earn far better than an average driver. Good enough, being a truck driver does not require a college degree or even a diploma. So, if you are looking for a career that pays high without a college degree, then you should consider starting a career as a professional truck driver.

  1. Forklift Operator

Another thriving career that produces high earners even without a college degree is the forklift operating industry. Forklift operators earn good salaries in North America and Europe. It is a career path that is majorly dominated by people with or without High School Diploma and they are in high demand in the manufacturing, shipping and construction industry.

  1. Commercial Farming

Commercial farming is yet another career path that someone without a college degree can pursue and still earn pretty high. The agricultural industry is among the leading industries in most countries of the world; it is the industry that produces food for the populace and raw materials for industries. Because of the significant role the sector plays, the government of most countries ensures that they go all the way to subsidize seedlings, fertilizers, farm implements and machinery for farmers and also encourage entrepreneurs to go into farming.

  1. Auto Mechanic

Starting a career as an auto mechanic does not require a college degree, all you need is just a diploma. If you are good as an auto mechanic, then you can earn pretty high. All over the world, car repair is one business that never goes into extinction. This is because daily, fleets of cars are being added to the garages of people and so whether it is a brand – new car or a fairly used one, you can be sure that sometime in the future, car repair would be inevitable.

As long as people use their cars and trucks regularly, there will always be reasons for them to visit an auto workshop if indeed they want these vehicles to continue to ply the roads. People visit auto garages for different reasons; it could be for routine servicing, major repair works, or for refurbishing their cars.

  1. Graphics Artist

Becoming a graphic artist is certainly a  high paying career path for people without a college degree. Just like most skilled jobs, graphic artists are hired not based on their degrees but on their talents and skills. College degree is just a plus, your production is what matters in this line of career. So, if you are looking for a high paying career path to follow and you don’t have a college degree, then you should consider pursuing a career as a professional graphic artist.

  1. Locksmith

Another high paying career someone without a college degree can purse is to become a locksmith. If you are thinking of becoming a locksmith, then you should pay attention to high school subjects such as metal work, math and physics. It will give you the right foundation to build your career. Besides, if you want to enroll for locksmith training in any college, the college might likely request that you pass metal work, physics and math before you can be granted admission.

  1. Digital Marketing Expert

Digital marketing is yet another high paying career path that does not necessarily require a college degree. Digital marketing in its simplest term is the process leveraging on modern digital technology to market goods or services or the process of pulling website traffic or attention through social media sites; they achieve this by creating content that attracts attention and encourages readers to share it across their social network platforms.

One of the major purposes of leveraging on Social Media in marketing is that it covers a wide range of target market compared to other marketing tolls.

  1. Become a Social Media Expert and Manager

Do you know that you can be employed as a social media expert and manager without a college degree? You can earn good salary by managing social media handles for several busy business executives, politicians, government officials, pastors, celebrities and public figures.

Of course, you must display some level of professionalism and expertise before you can be hired to manage social media pages and social media handles for people, but the truth remains that you can make pretty cool cash from this career path even without a college degree. But you must be ready to upgrade your skills from applicable trainings and certification courses.

  1. Video Editing Services

Video editing is yet another thriving and high paying career path that does not require a college degree. Most organizations that hire video editors do not go all out to look for people with college degrees, but people with reasonable education that can do the job. Come to think of it, you don’t necessarily need a college degree to excel as a video editor.

  1. Drone Photographer

A drone photographer is another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. But note that there are a lot you need to know and learn about drone technology before making up your mind to go into aerial drone photography.

Therefore, if you have decided to start an aerial drone photography career, then you should gather all the available materials you can get on drones and ensure that you read them up. Your research will provide you with information of where to attend aerial drone photography training, how to source for aerial drone photography contract, the required tools and license for aerial drone photography business.

  1. General Contracting

You can actually earn pretty high as a general contractor without a college degree. All you need is the skill to deliver on projects assigned. A general contracting company or general contractor is responsible for providing all the material, labor, equipment and other services needed for the execution of a project. Usually, the general contractor hires specialized sub – contractors to them execute all or some portions of the project.

  1. Professional Barber

Have you ever imagined how much the barber that cut the hair of the United States’ president or even most celebrities earn? Your guess is as good as mine; they earn pretty high and they don’t need a degree to qualify for this job. So, if you are looking for a high career path to follow and you don’t have a college degree, then you should consider becoming a professional barber. Who knows, you might be hired by a president, governor or a multi – millionaire celebrity.

  1. Hardwood Flooring Installer

If you don’t have a college degree and you want to earn high is technical career, then you should consider starting a career as a professional hardwood flooring installer. Players in the Flooring Installers Industry install resilient flooring, carpeting, linoleum and wood or other alternatives, and prepare surfaces for the installation of flooring and floor coverings; they install a variety of materials as floors for residential, commercial, institutional and industrial building markets.

  1. Professional Photographer

Another high paying career that someone without a college degree can pursue is professional photography. Depending on your skill set and niche area in the photography industry, you can be hired by a top photography company and earn good pay. So also, you can become a personal photographer of the president of your country and you know how much you can be paid for such job offer.

  1. Home Remodeling Professional

If you are looking for a high paying career to pursue and you do not have college degree, then one of your options is to become a home remodeling professional. Players in the Home Remodeling industry primarily engage in renovating the interiors and exterior of residential buildings. Remodeling consist of additions, alterations, reconstruction, maintenance and repair work.

  1. Music Artiste/Musician

In the United States and all over the world, most of the leading music artistes do no own a college degree. This goes to show that it is a career path that does not care about your degree but what you can offer. If you are a talented musician and you are looking for a high paying career path to follow, then you should consider the music industry. Please note that much more than your skills and talents, you would need equal measure of hard work and persistence to make it big as a musician.

  1. Motivational Speaker

Becoming a motivational speaker is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can successfully pursue. All you need to become a successful motivational speaker is not your college degree, but your skills as a professional speaker. You can go solo or work for a motivational speaking company. A motivational speaking company is a company that provides training and coaching to corporate organizations, schools, youth organizations and individuals.

  1. Security Camera Installer

Another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue is to become a security camera installer. It is important to note that the amount you will earn in this career path is dependent on the company you are working for.

If you are fortunate to work for a high-profile security camera installation company, then you are likely going to earn good pay. security camera installation companies are engaged in security camera system installation, security system monitoring and surveillance, security camera system repairs and maintenance and other related surveillance and security system services. They work both for the government and private organizations.

  1. Animation Artist

Although having a college degree in animation can give you a edge as an animation artist, but if you skilled in animation and you don’t have a college degree in animation, you can earn high in this career path. A good number of skilled and creative workers all around the world are making good bucks from animation studio business and you can become part of them if you are creative, artistic and interested in the career path.

  1. Voiceover Services

Another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue is to become a voice over artists. As a high school diploma holder, your good voice and excellent diction is an asset; with it you can get employed and earn good salary for as long as you are willing to work. As a voiceover artist, you can sign up with an advertising company and they will help you secure voiceover jobs.

  1. Event Planner

Becoming an event planner is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. All you need to get started in this career path is to obtain the necessary training and certifications. Event planning is all about helping corporate organizations, government, groups and individuals plan and execute their events from start to finish.

An event planner ensures that they work within the stipulated budget of the organization or individual and ensure that they deliver a successful event.. In some cases, it is the responsibility of the event planner to draw up a budget for the organizer of the event once they get a brief of the nature of the event.

  1. Hair Stylist

Pursuing a career as a hair stylist is yet another high paying career that someone without a college degree can pursue. Have you ever imagined how much the hair stylist that style for the wife and daughters of the United States’ president or even most celebrities earn?

Your guess is as good as mine; they earn pretty high and they don’t need a degree to qualify for this job. So, if you are looking for a high career path to follow and you don’t have a college degree, then you should consider becoming a professional hair stylist.

  1. Fashion Designer

Another high paying career that does not need a college degree is fashion designing. As a fashion designer, it is your work that speaks for you and not your college degree. If you are skilled and a good fashion designer, you can get a high paying jobs from a multi – national fashion companies. From time immemorial, the fashion industry is known to be one of the largest employers of labor (both directly and indirectly) in the United States of America and in most countries of the world.

  1. Electrician (Electronic Repairer)

Becoming an electrician is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. Yes, you will need technical certificate or diploma to secure a job as an electrician or to work in the electronic and computer repair industry, but you do not necessarily need a college degree.

The electronic and computer repair services industry is made up of companies in that are engaged in repairing and maintaining one or more of the following: consumer electronic equipment, computers, office machines, communication equipment and other electronic and precision equipment.

  1. Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technician

If you are looking for a high paying career path that does not require a college degree, then one of your options is to pursue a career in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry as a technician. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry is an industry that deals in heating, ventilation, and air – conditioning of a facility or a space (automobile, plane, ships, trains et al).

The truth is that heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning are interconnected most especially when it comes to providing conducive temperature in an indoor facility.

  1. Become a Translator

Becoming a professional translator is yet another career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. If you can speak and write two or more languages whether foreign or local languages, then you can comfortably list your services online as a translator.

There are many authors of books and producers of films et al who wouldn’t mind translating their books to local dialects or other foreign languages once they can get someone to do it for them at an affordable fee. You can visit elance.com, freelancer.com, oDesk.com and other freelance sites to source for translating jobs.

  1. Property Manager

Another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue is to become property manager. Interestingly, the minimum educational requirement for any one that wants to start his or her own property management business is a High School Diploma and hands on the job experience.

As a property manager, your core business responsibility is to liaise with landlords, tenants, and in some cases various contractors; and for you to effectively conduct your business, you are expected to have a full grasp of the law when it comes to landlord and tenants’ relationships et al.

  1. House Flipper

Becoming a house flipper is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue and do pretty well in. As a matter of fact, a real estate agent who is engaged in house flipping business can actually become a millionaire ‘overnight’ from just one house flipping deal.

Little wonder the industry is responsible for making many instant millionaires in the United States of America, as well as the rest of the world. House flipping is all about purchasing a property that is put up for sale, renovating the property and then reselling the property with the sole aim of making profits.

  1. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing professional is one of the many career paths in the ICT industry that someone with a college degree can pursue and earn pretty high salary. Cloud computing is an emerging paradigm computing concept that enables both information technology infrastructure and software to be delivered directly over the Internet as a service. This is an arrangement that enable companies to expand their network capacity, and run applications directly on a vendor’s network.

  1. Web Designer

Another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue is to become a web designer. Statistics has it that there are well over 350 million active websites on the internet and it is not enough to meet the demand of people visiting the internet; there are still pretty much to learn from the internet hence people are opening new websites on a regular basis.

If you know how to design websites, you should not restrict the marketing of your website design services to people you can see and visit within your location. There is a large market within the online community waiting to be tapped.

  1. Certified Nursing Assistant

Certified nursing assistant is another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue; they are in high demand in the United States and in most developed countries of the world. A Certified Nursing Assistant is a member of the health care industry and their responsibility is to carry out health care jobs as assigned by the trained nurse they are working with.

Such jobs could be bathing a newborn baby, feeding, dressing, helping nurses to hold patients when the need arises, helping nurses and even doctors to obtain and organize all they would need to treat a patient et al.

Certified Nursing Assistant positions are basically occupied by people who want to work as a Registered Nurse and haven’t been able to secure admission but want to gather all the necessary experience while trying to pass the required exams before they are granted admission to Nursing Schools and even Medical Colleges.

  1. Become a Bitcoin Miner

Becoming a bitcoin miner is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. Bitcoin mining in its simplest term is the practice of adding transaction records to Bitcoin’s public ledger. This ledger of previous transactions is called the block chain as it is a chain of blocks.

The block chain serves to confirm transactions to the rest of the network as having taken place. Mining is indeed an important and integral part of Bitcoin that ensures fairness while keeping the Bitcoin network stable, safe and highly secured.

  1. 3D Printing and Prototyping Professional

If you are looking for a professional career that is high paying and does not require a college degree, then you should consider starting a career as a 3D printer. 3D printing and prototyping service is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology.

  1. Excavation Contractor

If you don’t have a college degree and you want to work in a career that will pay you good salary, then you should consider pursuing a career as an excavation contractor.  People that work in the excavation industry mainly excavate land for building construction. They are known to carry out drilling, foundation digging and grading et al.

  1. Diamond Cutting and Polishing Professional

Diamond cutting and polishing is another high paying career that does not necessarily require a college degree. People that work in the Diamond Cutting and Polishing industry are basically involved in changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Cutting and polishing diamond requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and of course techniques because of its extreme difficulty.

  1. Become a Tattoo Artist

Becoming a tattoo artist is yet another high paying career path that someone without a college degree can pursue. You can either establish your own tattoo studio or work for a well – established tattoo studio. The Tattoo industry comprises of businesses that primarily provide tattoo services by injecting ink under the skin and permanently altering the coloration of the skin. This industry also includes businesses that provides tattoo-related maintenance, design and modification services.

  1. Computer Repair Technician

If you are looking for a career path that does not need a college degree but can pay good salary, then you should consider becoming a computer repair technician. Computer repair technicians are involved in repairing and maintaining one or more of the following: consumer electronic equipment, computers, office machines, communication equipment and other electronic and precision equipment.

  1. Become a Disc Jockey

Becoming a disc jockey is yet another relatively high paying career path that someone without a college degree can successfully pursue. Basically, a disc jockey which is popularly called a DJ is a person who mixes recorded music in real time from any source, including cassettes, CDs, or digital audio files on a digital media player or laptop. Disc Jockeys often perform for a live audience at a club or other venues or for a broadcast audience.

So also, DJs create mixes that are recorded for later sale and distribution and for playback during DJ sets. Disc Jockeys make use of musical equipment that can play at least two sources of recorded music simultaneously and mix them together using an electronic gadget known as DJ mixer machine. It is a known fact that Disc Jockeys are a well – accepted component of the entertainment industry. They are known to provide background music at night clubs, bars, and parties and even in corporate events.

  1. Home Staging Professional

Another high career path that someone without a college degree can pursue is to become home staging professional. Home staging is all about preparing and decorating a home or private residence so that it will look pretty good and appealing to potential buyers especially those who are not interested in renovating a property with their money after purchase. The truth is that there are people who are willing to pay and pack in without any hassles or delay and they are willing to pay premium fees.

  1. Interior Designer

You can become an interior designer if indeed you are looking for a high paying career that does not require a college degree. When we talk about interior design or interior decoration, we are talking about the art or process of designing the interior and in some cases the exterior of a facility; it could be a room or building.

An interior designer is a person whose job is to coordinate, manage and execute such projects. The truth is that interior design is a multidimensional vocation that covers activities such as conceptual development, communicating with the stakeholders of a project and the management and of course the execution of the design.

  1. Property Developer

Becoming a property developer is yet another high paying career that someone without a college degree can successfully pursue. The property development industry is a many-sided business that covers all aspects of activities ranging from acquiring land to selling or renting or leasing of fully finished and furnished properties. In essence, developers are responsible for turning ideas into real properties; i.e. they acquire land, engage in building projects and they sell, rent, lease and manage properties on behalf of their clients.