25 high-paying jobs of the future that don't require a college degree
Madison Hoff  Â
- Not all high-paying jobs that are likely to see big employment growth over the next decade need a bachelor's or graduate degree.
- Using employment projections and salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we found which jobs are set to have a bright future over the next decade that don't require a college degree.
- These jobs include fitness instructors, electricians, and various first-line supervisors.
If you are looking for a career change during the pandemic and don't have a college degree, one of these jobs may be a good place to start your search, as these occupations are expected to have a bright future over the next decade.
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 salaries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Using 2019-2029 employment projections and May 2019 annual salaries, 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 salary among all occupations of $39,810. 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 following 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. Dental assistants is another occupation that is expected to grow faster than the overall average, by 23,400 net new jobs or 6.6%.
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.
For instance, flight attendants have a typical educational requirement of a high school diploma, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that this occupation is expected to have a bright future over the next decade. However, the airline industry has been one of the hardest hit amid the pandemic with a drop in demand, job cuts, and a Moody's prediction that it will take years for this industry to recover.
Here are 25 high-paying jobs that don't require a college degree and that have bright futures ahead:
25. Machinists
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 16,300
Median annual earnings in 2019: $44,420
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
24. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 15,100
Median annual earnings in 2019: $48,730
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
23. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives (except technical and scientific products)
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 13,200
Median annual earnings in 2019: $59,930
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
22. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 19,400
Median annual earnings in 2019: $40,780
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 16,900
Median annual earnings in 2019: $48,980
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
20. Bus drivers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,800
Median annual earnings in 2019: $43,030
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 2019: $67,460
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
18. Dental assistants
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 23,400
Median annual earnings in 2019: $40,080
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
17. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 19,400
Median annual earnings in 2019: $49,370
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
16. Firefighters
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,300
Median annual earnings in 2019: $50,850
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 20,900
Median annual earnings in 2019: $55,160
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
14. Flight attendants
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 21,100
Median annual earnings in 2019: $56,640
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 2019: $42,630
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 2019: $55,060
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
11. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 30,600
Median annual earnings in 2019: $45,260
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
10. Insurance sales agents
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 27,500
Median annual earnings in 2019: $50,940
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
9. Massage therapists
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 34,400
Median annual earnings in 2019: $42,820
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 33,000
Median annual earnings in 2019: $66,210
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
7. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 57,600
Median annual earnings in 2019: $40,390
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 2019: $63,150
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 2019: $52,270
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 2019: $47,480
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
3. Industrial machinery mechanics
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 62,300
Median annual earnings in 2019: $53,590
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
2. Electricians
Projected new positions between 2019 and 2029: 62,200
Median annual earnings in 2019: $56,180
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 2019: $56,130
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
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