25 High-Paying Jobs Of The Future That Don't Require A College Degree

Not all high-paying jobs that are likely to see big employment growth by 2029 need a college degree.
We looked at these growing jobs that don’t require a college degree using wage data and employment projections.

Here are 25 high-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree and that have bright futures ahead.

25. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 14,800

Median annual earnings in 2020: $49,640

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

24. Machinists

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 16,300

Median annual earnings in 2020: $45,840

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

23. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 15,100

Median annual earnings in 2020: $50,590

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

22. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 19,400

Median annual earnings in 2020: $42,040

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

21. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives (except technical and scientific products)

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 13,200

Median annual earnings in 2020: $62,070

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

20. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 16,900

Median annual earnings in 2020: $49,770

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 13,300

Median annual earnings in 2020: $70,240

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

18. Bus drivers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,800

Median annual earnings in 2020: $45,900

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

17. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 19,400

Median annual earnings in 2020: $51,010

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

16. Firefighters

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,300

Median annual earnings in 2020: $52,500

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,900

Median annual earnings in 2020: $56,330

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

14. Flight attendants

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 21,100

Median annual earnings in 2020: $59,050

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

13. All other medical dosimetrists, medical records specialists, and health technologists and technicians

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 29,000

Median annual earnings in 2020: $44,090

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

12. First-line supervisors of transportation and material-moving workers (except aircraft cargo handling supervisors)

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 23,500

Median annual earnings in 2020: $54,870

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

11. Insurance sales agents

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 27,500

Median annual earnings in 2020: $52,180

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

10. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 30,600

Median annual earnings in 2020: $47,130

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

9. First-line supervisors of personal service and entertainment and recreation workers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 35,000

Median annual earnings in 2020: $42,000

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

8. Massage therapists

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 34,400

Median annual earnings in 2020: $43,620

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 33,000

Median annual earnings in 2020: $67,840

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

6. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 39,100

Median annual earnings in 2020: $65,540

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

5. Computer user support specialists

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 54,800

Median annual earnings in 2020: $52,690

Typical educational requirements: Some college, no degree

4. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 65,700

Median annual earnings in 2020: $48,820

Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

3. Industrial machinery mechanics

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 62,300

Median annual earnings in 2020: $55,490

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

2. Electricians

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 62,200

Median annual earnings in 2020: $56,900

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

1. Sales representatives of services (except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel)

Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 64,200

Median annual earnings in 2020: $58,770

Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

Method and data source

To find out which high-paying jobs are likely to grow over the next several years, we used the latest employment projections and median annual wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Using 2019-2029 employment projections and May 2020 annual wages, we calculated the geometric mean for each occupation to allow for an overall ranking of occupations.

Since we want to focus on high-paying jobs, we looked at only those that make above the median wage among all occupations of $41,950. To look at occupations that don’t require a college degree, we then found the highest-ranking jobs on our overall list where the typical required education is a high school diploma or its equivalent, postsecondary degree award, some college but with no degree, or has no formal education requirement.

Some of the above jobs are expected to grow above the average among all occupations from 2019 to 2029, at 3.7%. One of those especially quickly growing occupations is industrial machinery mechanics, which is expected to see employment growth of 62,300 new jobs between 2019 and 2029, or a 15.6% expansion.

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It is important to note that the estimates developed by BLS use historical data and do not take into account the effects of the pandemic on employment, per a BLS press release regarding the recent employment projections.

Tags: future high-paying job

25 High-Paying Jobs Of The Future That Don’t Require A College Degree

First-line supervisor of transportation and material moving workers is one career that doesn't require a college degree and has a bright future ahead

25. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

24. Machinists

23. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

22. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

21. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives (except technical and scientific products)

20. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

18. Bus drivers

17. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

16. Firefighters

15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

14. Flight attendants

13. All other medical dosimetrists, medical records specialists, and health technologists and technicians

12. First-line supervisors of transportation and material-moving workers (except aircraft cargo handling supervisors)

11. Insurance sales agents

10. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

9. First-line supervisors of personal service and entertainment and recreation workers

8. Massage therapists

7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

6. Police and sheriff’s patrol officers

5. Computer user support specialists

4. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

3. Industrial machinery mechanics

2. Electricians

1. Sales representatives of services (except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel)

Method and data source

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