The Highest Paying Jobs You Can Get Without a College Degree

Ship engineers are responsible for coordinating the activities of the ship’s crew and maintaining the ship’s engines and other machinery. The job is one of just 10 that pay a median annual wage of over $82,000 without requiring a college degree.

Though the job does not require a college degree, it stands out from most other jobs on this list because prospective workers typically need to get a mariner’s license from the Coast Guard before they are considered for a job as an engineer.

Detectives and criminal investigators are in one of the 10 highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree. The median worker in this field earns over $83,000, much higher than the median wage of all occupations of $$45,760.

Though a college degree is not necessarily required to be a detective or criminal investigator, most people working in this field hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Though electrical repairers who work at generating stations and relays do not need a college degree, that does not mean it is an easy job to become qualified for. In order to be considered for this job, a prospective worker typically needs a postsecondary certification, work experience in a related field, and some on-the-job training.

These workers have median earnings over $93,000 in wages per year. This is more than double the median wage for all jobs of over $45,000.

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn nearly $100,000 per year. Though the job does not require a college degree, it does typically require an apprenticeship with a more experienced worker.

There are more than 22,000 people working as elevator and escalator installers and repairers in the U.S., a figure that is projected to increase by roughly as much as the typical job from 2020-2030.

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers handle the logistics of moving and storing items. They are often employed by warehousing and storage companies, trucking businesses, and federal and local governments. These managers have a median income of over $98,000, well above most jobs, not just those requiring a college degree.

Though these workers are not required to have a college degree in most cases, they typically need at least five years of related experience, if not more, before they can move up to a managerial level.