No Degree, No Problem: 75 Great Jobs You Can Get Without a College Education

College is not for everyone, but earning a great living can be. So often, parents and teens fall prey to the myth that the only way to get a well-paying job is with either a two- or four-year degree, and nothing could be further from the truth. We asked parents to share with us the terrific jobs they or their adult children found that didn’t require classroom learning, and here is what they told us.

While a college degree may not be required for these jobs, many require vocational training, certification, or licensure.

Many jobs don’t require a college degree. (Credit: Yale University)

Great jobs that don’t need a college degree

Building trades

Tiler

Kitchen Installer

Electrician

Plumber

Welder

Contractor

Network Hardware Installation

HVAC Installer

Roofing

Carpenter

Pipe-fitter

Painter

Wallpaper Installer

Alarm Installer

Flooring Installer

Concrete Installer

Hair and Aesthetics

Hairdresser

Colorist

Esthetician 

Barber

Cosmetology

Medical/Health/Personal Care

Ophthalmic Technician

Radiation Technologist  

Ultrasound Technologist

Echocardiogram Techs

Pediatric Cardiac Sonographer

Paramedic/EMT

PCT certification (Patient Care Tech)

Receptionist in medical office

Dental assistant/hygienist 

Machinist who makes replacement joints

EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)

Patient Care Tech

Pharmacy Technician

Phlebotomist

Home Health Aid

Scrub Tech 

Hospital Employee

Technology

Network Hardware Installation

Direct Support Professional (DSP)

Cyber security 

Water and wastewater treatment plant operators

Electrical Lineman

Cell Tower Maintenance

CAD Drafter

Data Analytics

Heavy equipment technicians

Software Developer 

Web Developer 

Automotive

Automotive Technician

Car Salesperson

Front Office/Car Dealership

Commercial Driver

Personal Services

Nanny/Babysitter

Household manager

Driver

Private Chef

Office or House Cleaning

Landscaping

Pet Sitting

Massage Therapist 

Personal Trainer 

Other

Airline pilot 

ASL interpreter

Realtor

Retail or Supermarket Manager

Non-Destructive Testing

Voiceover work

CNC machinists (Computer Numerical Control)

Professional Scuba/Rescue Diver

Casino Dealer

Law Enforcement

Corrections Officer

Court reporter

Emergency Dispatcher

FedEx or UPS driver or service agent

More Great Reading:

22 Jobs Teens Can Do to Earn Money During the Vacations and School Year

About Helene Wingens

Helene Wingens has always been passionate about painting pictures with words. She graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in psychology and three years later from Boston University School of Law with a Juris Doctor. In a year long clerkship for an appellate judge Helene honed her writing skills by drafting weekly appellate memoranda. She practiced law until she practically perfected it and after taking a brief twenty year hiatus to raise her three children she began writing a personal blog Her essays have been published in: Scary Mommy, Kveller, The Forward, and Grown and Flown where she is Managing Editor. You can visit Helene's website here

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