4 High Paying Jobs That Don’t Require A Degree
As society continues to progress, traditional ways of making money have become more obsolete. However, this doesn’t mean that the older ways are any way inferior. Jobs and careers are everywhere, all with different requirements. Therefore, we will take a look at a few jobs that don’t require a degree. Degrees cost a lot of time and money. Therefore, it’s only natural that people will look for alternative ways of earning money. Furthermore, more professions are starting to accept people based on experience rather than degrees. While the value of the paper is decreasing (in some fields) the value for experience is steadily rising. Therefore, we hope that these jobs give you a good idea of how much money you can earn without a degree.
Side note: These are in no particular order.
1. Power Plant Operator
The first on our list is a power plant operator. Many people may not know what a power plant operator is. Therefore, we shall give a brief description of what a power plant operator does and their responsibilities. A power plant operator operates machines that are able to generate power. However, they are not limited to these responsibilities. Power plant operators also deal with water gauges and regulate how to steam is distributed throughout the system. Furthermore, this is a job that is dominated by men, approximately 98%. Therefore, women are in demand.
If you take a look at the picture above, power plant operators earn approximately $70,000 per year. This is over the average household income for a Canadian. However, this amount is based on over 200 surveys. Therefore. there is definitely room to earn more or less money.
Although you do not need a degree, a high school diploma is required. Furthermore, the more experience you have, the more you can potentially earn. Lastly, there are skills that you can learn in order to increase your annual salary. For example, you can learn distributed control systems (DCS). This is seen as a valuable skill and will make you worth more as an employee.
Related Articles
- 4 High-Return P2P Lending Platforms For Canadian Investors
- Highest Paying Trade Jobs In Canada
- Earning Money During The Coronavirus
- The Top 9 Best Assets You Can Own
- What Are The Most Lucrative Degrees?
2. Commercial Pilot
A commercial pilot is someone who operates large aircraft for general flight. An example of this would be a pilot for Air Canada. The pilot is responsible for many factors such as passenger handling and reacting in certain situations. If something goes wrong, it’s up to the pilot to react accordingly. Therefore, this job is not easy by any stretch of the imagination.
In many instances, commercial pilots do not need a bachelor’s degree. However, some companies will require you to have one. Furthermore, having a degree would be advantageous. This is because it’ll help you stand out from the rest of the competition. Lastly, you’ll find that most applicants will have a bachelor’s degree (many times not in aviation). Therefore, it’ll be hard for you to actually become a pilot without one, although not impossible.
.
Airline pilots are capable of earning over $70,000 per year. However, this amount can vary depending on airline, experience, qualifications, and skills. For example, learning an electronic system such as avionics can spike your potential salary exponentially. Furthermore, your tenure as a commercial pilot can greatly increase your salary. Gaining experience while learning skills is the best possible way to increase your salary as a commercial pilot. Lastly, this is also a male-dominated field. Therefore, women are also in-demand within this particular field.
3. Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
If you’re wondering what a nuclear power reactor operator does, look no further than the Simpsons. One of Homer’s many jobs was a nuclear power reactor operator/technician. What does a nuclear power reactor operator do? They’re responsible for the generation of consumable energy. However, they must ensure this is being done in the safest manner possible.
These individuals monitor systems that affect the reactor. Therefore, they’re constantly adjusting and regulating the systems to keep them within a safe/optimal range. It is an important job that can have catastrophic consequences if not done properly. Similar to power plant operators, they do not need a degree. However, they do need at least a high school diploma.
A nuclear power reactor operator can earn as much as a power plant operator. This may be due to the fact these jobs are similar in a lot of aspects. Mainly that they both operate at power plants and have to do with regulating systems. However, just because their salaries are similar, doesn’t mean that its anything to sneeze at. If you’re looking to get into a field that pays a lot and does not require a degree, this one may be for you. However, keep in mind that these jobs tend to be highly competitive.
4. Business Owner/Entrepreneur
As a business owner, you don’t need a degree. It is the occupation that can potentially earn you the most money. However, it is also the occupation that can cost you the most time and money. Being a business owner is not easy, learning the ins and outs of an industry takes time. Furthermore, many people fail to get their start-ups off the ground. Therefore, there is a lot of risks involved in being an entrepreneur. In theory, all you need to become a business owner is a plan. Know which industry you want to work in/what you want to do and raise capital. Once you have the capital, you can start funding your dream.
Say you want to create a company that sells candles. You’d first need to learn how to make them, acquire the money to fund the creation of candles, and start marketing them. However, like any plan, things won’t go exactly how you want it. Therefore, you have to account for error.
Although the picture above shows that entrepreneurs earn considerably less than other professions, I do think that they have the highest earnings potential. However, it does not surprise me that they earn the lowest average income. Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. Furthermore, most businesses take years to get off the ground and break even.
If you take a look at the bottom of the picture, you can see the entrepreneur’s salaries per region. In this section, entrepreneurs are earning $300,000 and over, specifically in Ontario and British Columbia. This amount is over 4x what the other roles and job positions earn. This is because as an entrepreneur if you have a product or service, you’re exchanging that for value. Therefore, entrepreneurs are paid based on their results rather than time spent. The time they spend is an investment. This investment is put in with the hopes that it’ll pay off.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it’s evident that you do not need a degree if the goal is to make a lot of money. There are many jobs and opportunities out there that will enable you to earn money. Owning a business or choosing a job that does not require a degree are just a few of the many ways. Therefore, if you’re looking for ways to make money but don’t want to spend that much time and money, do your due diligence. I guarantee that you’ll be able to make money without a degree.
Shameed is just a man on a mission to help those around him gain financial success. Obsessed with writing about all things finance, this GTA native is constantly learning and sharing his experiences with others.
