These 22 Well-Paid Jobs Require No University Degree in UK and USA

These 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA.  If you are looking for a well-paid, fulfilling and respectable job with good income without a university degree in the UK or USA, be sure to explore this Infographic and article.

By Catherine Adenle

Need a well-paid job without a university degree? These 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA as shown on the Infographic above.

Over 60% of workers in the US have no bachelor’s degree according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, if you have an associate’s degree or a high school diploma you can still get a high-paying job!

I know that the fight for a well-paid job without a degree is a tough one, but there are jobs out there in which you can earn a serious amount of money annually without a university degree.

Having a university degree is no more a passport to achieving the highest career altitude in life. Although going to university or college as refereed to in America has never been more popular, but , with mounting student loan debts and thousands of graduates pounding the pavements looking to get a well-paid job, it’s not necessarily the best and only option for a lot of young people, especially the ones without the means or support to go to a higher institution.

“Going to college has long been, since the end of World War II, the preferable path to the middle class,” says Anthony Carnevale, Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “Now it’s not just preferable; it is very rapidly becoming the dominant pathway because the entry-level skill requirement for a lot of jobs has gone up.”

Bypassing university doesn’t have to mean a sudden career death for you

The time when a bachelor’s degree is often thought of as the only key to financial success has long gone. As explained on these 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA Infographic,  bypassing university doesn’t have to mean a sudden career death for you.

The truth is, savvy people are always looking for career ‘workarounds’ and other ways to have a well paid career which wouldn’t involve running up huge university or student loan debts. Frankly, a lot of people thrive exceedingly well at work and in life without a university degree.

From the 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA Infographic, in conjunction  with the information in the SlideShare (300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree) embedded below,  you can easily decide on and choose any career of interest that you may want to explore.

 “More and more people are asking themselves, is going to college the most effective way to spend $100,000 and four years of my life? Instead of choosing between law school and med school, they are making a third choice and walking out.” – Dale Stephens, an educational futurist.

It’s more common than ever for many employers now to offer fast-track training schemes for candidates without university degrees who stand out from competition during job interviews. There’s an increasing range of on the job training and work experience in various organizations for non degree holders.

Set yourself up for career success without a university degree by applying yourself 

This is not an article to condemn having a university degree. Of course, it would be great if we can all afford to go to university and be degree holders. However, this is not possible. So, this is about applying yourself via alternative equally fulfilling routes to your own career happiness. Making an expensive investment in your education without a great return on the investment for several years to come isn’t the only way to get ahead professionally. In industries where hands-on experience is just as prized as academic qualifications, going straight into work-based learning can put you ahead of the university pack without a massive overdraft.

If you have the means and opportunity, having a university degree is vital. However, tenacity, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit will also be the thing to take you farther in life. University education is important, but it should not determine your career altitude in life. With that said, I still think a solid foundation in education is a must because it gives you a framework on which to build upon.

Why having a degree isn’t necessarily ‘all that’ anymore

Why do I think having a degree must not dictate how successful you are in life? Well, a driven personality always finds away. Education can either be a stepping stone or a roadblock on the path of greater achievement for some. If education proves an obstacle, those with an entrepreneurial spirit will push it aside and go their own chosen route. For instance, these folks did not go to university but they applied themselves successfully: Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Kevin Rose, Rachael Ray, Larry Ellison etc. So, don’t let lack of higher education limit your imagination or derail your entrepreneurial spirit.

22 Well-Paid Jobs Require No University Degree in the UK and USA:

These are the 10 jobs that can earn you about £45k – 60k per annum and require no degree in the UK!

1. Pilot: £60,000
2. Police officers (inspector and above): £55,241
3. Managers (marketing and sales): £56.029
4. Air traffic controllers: £53,911
5. Personnel and industrial relations managers: £53,717
6. Local Government senior officers: £46,755
7. Fire, ambulance and prison officers (senior): £45,810
8. Managers (property, housing and land): £43,810
9. Train drivers: £50,231
10. Managers (customer care): £40,800

These are the 12 jobs that can earn you about $57k – $112k per annum and require no degree in the US!

1. Air traffic controller: $112,930
2. Storage and distribution manager: $70,600
3. Transportation manager: $69,600
4. Police and detectives supervisor: $64,430
5. Non-retail sales manager: $59,300
6. Forest-Fire fighting and prevention supervisor: $58,920
7. Municipal firefighting and prevention supervisor: $58,902
8. Real estate broker: $58,720
9. Elevator installers and repairer: $58,710
10. Sales representative: $58,580
11. Dental hygienist: $58,350
12. Radiation therapist: $57,700

Note that monetary figures are median wages.

The 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA  Infographic above shows just some examples of the job opportunities available to British and American adults without a college or university degree. Over the years, I’ve seen that working hard and working your way up the ladder matters way more to an employer than a degree. Even if you start at a lower paying position in an organization, through applying yourself, skills, tenacity and creativity, you’ll quickly see how well you excel and make your employer notice you and the value you add. This will open up doors for higher-paying positions for you without a university degree.

See The 27 highest-paying jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree

Jump on page 32 of this massive slide deck below to see the list of 300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree from Reception Holding Unit, Fort Jackson

See 13 Highest Paying Jobs Of 2015 You Don’t Need A Degree For

Now that you know the 22 well-paid jobs require no university degree in UK and USA Infographic, can you share other well-paid jobs that don’t require a degree in order parts of the world with us by adding your comments below?