Highest-paying US jobs that don’t require a college degree
Each pays above the national median
It’s no secret that college is expensive. A total of 45 million Americans currently have a combined $1.6 trillion in loan debt, and the cost of tuition has increased a striking amount: It’s ticked up more than 210 percent since 1988, according to data from the College Board.
But for those who aren’t able to afford the high costs of a traditional four-year school and still want a high-paying job, there are some fields that don’t require a degree yet pay more than the Bureau of Labor Statistics-estimated $49,000 median annual income.
Many of the professions, however, still require job-specific education and training.
To find these opportunities, U.S. News & World Report released its 2020 list of the top-paying jobs, using BLS data to pinpoint professions with the largest projected number and percentage of openings from 2018 to 2028 that workers without a degree can land.
Here are the top five:
Patrol officer
Median annual salary: $61,380 per year
Education needed: High school
Projected new jobs through 2028: 34,500
Executive assistant
Median annual salary: $59,340 per year
Education needed: High school
Projected new jobs through 2028: 123,000
BLOOMBERG PUSHES $15 MINIMUM WAGE IN AMBITIOUS LABOR PLAN
Sales representative
Median annual salary: $58,510 per year
Education needed: High school
Projected new jobs through 2028: 23,300
MILLENNIALS, GEN ZERS MORE LIKELY TO ‘GHOST’ EMPLOYERS THAN OTHERS
Electrician
Median annual salary: $55,190 per year
Education needed: High school
Projected new jobs through 2028: 74,100
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Wind turbine technician
Median annual salary: $54,370 per year
Education needed: Relevant certificate
Projected new jobs through 2028: 3,800