Getting a bachelor’s degree has become the most glorified thing amongst today’s youth in the name of acing the best jobs. The thought of spending four years in university polishing their skills in a certain field and emerging with the enshrined award is comforting.
But does it mean you can’t get a great job without a bachelor’s degree?
Not at all.
Award-winning syndicated humor columnist and New York Times bestselling author, Celia Rivenbark said,
“I don’t have a college degree. I started working at 19 on a tiny newspaper. I’ve covered everything from weddings to crime to criminal weddings.”
She has authored 7 riotous reads as of mid-2018.
With the ease of accessing free online education and on-the-job training, your chances of getting your best job to grow by the hour. If you have the passion to go after certain kind of job, don’t let lack of a bachelor’s degree slow you down; go for it now.
Disclaimer: We do not advocate for quick fixes in life; instead, we advocate for continuous skill acquisition to better your creativity to become the best workman in your industry. A college degree doesn’t always guarantee expertise, but the hunger to become better today than you were yesterday does the trick.
Top 12 Best Jobs That Don’t Require You to Have A Bachelor’s Degree.
While not arranged in any particular order, this list gives the most marketable jobs in the world. They have great pay and bright future in growth, yet none requires you to have a bachelor’s degree.
Athletes and Sports Competitors
If the only math you understand is projectile motion demonstrated while kicking a ball, you are still employable.
Your talent as a swimmer, runner, footballer, ice-skater, tennis player can put food on your table.
As the world turns to talents as a way of earning a living, sports jobs continue to increase at the rate of 7% since 2014 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics.
On average, you could score a whopping $51,370 per year doing what you love; no high school diploma asked!
With long-term on-the-job training, you could become the next Cristiano Ronaldo if you love football or Serena Williams if tennis is your thing. Don’t let your talent go to waste.
Elevator installer
Have you seen those skyscrapers in towns around you?
They are the true definition of breath-taking if you have to walk up the stairs beyond the third floor; they take your breath away. As an elevator installer, you could make the trip up worth having.
After attaining your high school diploma or equivalent, you could take a certificate in Elevator Technician course or join an apprenticeship program. In each case, you learn how to read blueprints, mathematics, applied physics, elevator and escalator parts, safety, electrical and digital theory.
For the technical training, you will need at least 144 hours in class and 2000 hours on-the-job training. You are required to have physical stamina, mechanical skills, be detail oriented and love troubleshooting.
Your expertise in installing and maintaining elevators could earn you a lifting $79,480 per year. With various governments around the world demanding for elevators or escalators in buildings going four floors up, Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a 12% growth for this trade by 2026.
Wholesale Sales Representative
Having an enthusiastic personality, confidence to break the ice during a networking session and a deep craving for travel give you an excellent opportunity to join the sales league. Manufacturers and wholesalers would love to work with you to get their products before government agencies and other businesses; never final consumers.
Judging from the growing economy, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a 3.7% growth in the demand for manufacturing and wholesale sales representatives by 2026.
With a high school diploma or equivalent, continuous on-the-job training on the product and how to tame your target client, you could take home on average $56,970 per year.
If you desire to stand out from the crowd, consider attending sales techniques seminars, taking marketing courses and learning a foreign language.
You could grow your annual income to $121,080 if you invest your time in online classes and hours of YouTube videos on sales. You could even earn more if your contract with the wholesaler allows you to get a commission!
Real Estate Agent
As the construction industry grows, there is a dire need to sell offices and homes to those who long to own such; that’s where your career as a real estate agent begins.
While some brokerage firms are quick to offer on-the-job training, you should know they pay on commission. You have to complete a transaction to earn a salary.
You are required to take a pre-licensing course, which you can do online or in a class, then sit for the licensing exam within two years of taking the course. This allows you to re-sit the test within that period should you fail the first time.
After passing the test, you should activate your license and get listed in multiple listing services to enable you to obtain tax information for the property you intend to sell.
You also get to learn current market trends.
On average, you could make up to $45,610 per year, but with more experience and zeal for the job, you could take home more than $200,000.
To get there, choose a brokerage firm that offers occasional training and keeps learning from other agents that are doing better than you.
Graphic designer
If you are endowed with artistic abilities, a ninja in creativity, analytical skills and enjoy toying with your computer, you are in for a colorful time. While many companies insist on a bachelor’s degree, a career in graphic design can be cultivated through an internship, taking certificate courses and online tutorials.
As a graphic designer, your work entails creating visual concepts that inform, inspire and captivate consumers in brochures, magazines, and websites. This creativity could earn you an average of $48,700 a year, but exploring beyond employment into the freelancing world could double or triple the figure.
To increase your productivity, you could collaborate with writers and web developers; such need your creative designs. Remember to thrill your target employers with your designs on your website; showing off this way isn’t a crime.
As many companies and individuals seek visibility online, the thirst for prolific graphic designers continues to grow.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for graphic designers is projected to rise by 20% between 2016 and 2026.
Web Developer
Thanks to YouTube University and the availability of millions of free tools online that you can use to build beautiful websites for yourself and your clients. With so many people opting to work from home, e-commerce websites have replaced physical shops in such cases. This is where your expertise is needed.
If you crave employment as a web developer, you could make a stylish $66,130 on average per year without the need for a bachelor degree.
Instead, you could go for certification such as Certified Web Developer and keep up to date with online courses.
Employers seek to see your creativity hence the need to create several mock websites as part of your portfolio.
To make a kill in the sector, master the art of combining words, colors, images, videos, and special effects.
You also need to learn design principles, web applications, and programming languages. Ensure that your websites load fast on every device and are easy to navigate.
Learn the art of communication because you may need to meet a number of your clients face to face.
Electrician
Besides the magic of bringing light into your home, electricians design, install, maintain electrical systems in residences and factories. To prepare you to join this club, you need to go through at least four years of apprenticeship which leads to becoming a licensed electrician.
Your training involves reading and interpreting electrical, mechanical and architectural drawings, handling power generation and distribution equipment. You can’t afford to be colorblind in this trade because your safety depends on it.
You can start the training as soon as you receive your high school diploma or equivalent, though it’s never too late to join the trade.
As an apprentice, you should expect a salary of about $39,000 a year, but as a licensed expert sparks a whopping $90,420 per year.
Firefighter
If you hate to see buildings and forests on fire and have the heart to face the flames, this job is for you. Your courage is required all the time hence the need to stay on call when not at the fire station. You may need to work over 40 hours per week as you are considered a hero all the time.
With your high school diploma, you can proceed to the fire academy and learn how to drive firetrucks, put out fires, rescue people from various emergency situations and give them first aid.
You also learn to conduct fire drills, prepare incident reports and clean your equipment. You are required to remain physically fit at all time.
For putting your life on the line for humanity, on average you could take home a heated $49,080 per year while receiving long-term on-the-job training to keep you on a check.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a 7% increase in demand for firefighters between 2016 and 2026.
Plumber
The thought of installing and maintaining drinking water, sewage and draining pipes doesn’t come as a priority to many people. But when a clogged pipe comes your way, you learn to respect the expertise of a plumber.
With the ballooning construction industry, there is a huge demand for qualified plumbers and Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees a 16% growth in their market by 2026.
The good news, once you have your high school diploma or equivalent, you can proceed to a plumbing apprenticeship program where you learn as you earn. The program gives you at least 246 hours of professional teaching in applied physics and chemistry, blueprint reading, math, and safety.
The practical bit takes between 2000 and 8000 hours of paid practical training where you work under an experienced plumber. While your initial pay starts at about $38,500 per year, completing the apprenticeship and getting the license upgrades you to a journeyman plumber with almost double the salary.
It may cost you five years of your life to become a master plumber, but the chance to earn over $90,000 every year is worth every minute spent with the pipes.
Carpenter
Doors and staircases lack their way into the construction industry in the absence of experienced carpenters. For a profession estimated to grow by 8% between 2016 and 2026 by the BLS, your passion for the job has its place in the market.
Armed with your high school diploma or equivalent, carpentry welcomes you to a three or four-year training program. You will need about 144 hours of technical training and up to 8000 hours of salaried apprenticeship. This will equip you with knowledge in blueprint reading, basic carpentry, building code necessities, math and safety practices.
As an apprentice in the industry, you could earn up to $33,770 per year, but as you master complex trigonometry formulae, you could take home about $80,000.
Streetcar operator
The world’s population grows in an unforgiving speed demanding for your hand in getting people where they need to go. Becoming a streetcar operator goes a long way into making their journey cheaper and faster; besides, not everyone can afford their car.
A streetcar runs along metal rails but operating one demand that you first learn how to drive a bus for public transit system then take a six months training on the tracks. The only other requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent.
The six-month training involves driving the streetcar, understanding safety and passenger evacuation procedures, transit reporting rules and learning various signals. You should also know the routes, locations, junctions and stations that streetcars use in your area.
The demand for streetcar operators is expected to grow at 4.7% by 2024 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, and you could take home $62,360 per year on average.
Massage Therapist
If with your touch you can bring healing, relieve, relaxation and improved circulation to those in desperate need of it, massage therapy is calling for you. As a massage therapist, your services could serve people in spas, fitness centers, and even specialized clinics.
While you can learn from various experts, it is essential to go through specialized training and get at least 500 hours of experience. After that, you could become a certified massage therapist giving you the opportunity to provide the healing touch for an average of $39,990 every year.
This is a lucrative trade estimated to grow at 26% by 2016 as projected by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. As many people turn to the healing power from an expert touch, you could extend your services to the freelance market, doubling your income.
Let not the lack of a bachelor’s degree keep you out of employment. Outside this list are numerous opportunities that if well exploited, could earn you a steady income throughout the year.
The most important thing is for you to understand that on-the-job training is as good as getting a bachelor’s degree; in some cases, even better. Whatever you do, don’t underestimate the humble beginnings of a high school diploma, many have walked the path and left a mark in the world; it’s your turn now.
