10 More Good Jobs with No College Degree Required

In an earlier column, I covered some of the top paying jobs for people with no college degrees. This appears to be a popular topic, as Yahoo! also reported on 10 paying jobs with no college degree, at least no 4-year degree, required.

Topping that list is an employment recruitment specialist; someone who helps companies recruit job candidates. With a two-year degree (associates degree) in hand, the median salary for an employment recruitment specialist with 1-4 years of experience is $34,700.

A career as a financial advisor comes in at number two on the Yahoo! list of 10 paying jobs with no college degree required. In this position, it helps to have an associate’s degree in finance as you usually work at a brokerage firm or a bank. Your job is helping clients make wise investments (hopefully). A personal financial advisor with less than year of experience earns a median base salary of $35,000, but commissions and bonuses can be a big factor in pay as well.

How does your salary compare with two of Yahoo's 10 paying jobs with no college degree? Find out with our salary survey or use the our cost of living calculator to see how much you would need to make to maintain your current standard of living in a different city.

Ten Hot Careers, cont'd

Moving in at number three is a physical therapist assistant. These folks assist physical therapists in helping patients regain and/or improve movement. As baby-boomers age, these workers are more in demand. No college needed, just some basic medical assisting training will help you land this entry level job; the hourly wage for a physical therapist assistant ranges from $18.43 to $22.08 in major cities.

Filling the number four slot is a pharmacy technician. This guy or gal counts pills, labels pill bottles, runs the cash register and basically helps carry the work load of pharmacists. In California, and some other states, pharmacy technicians are actually filling prescriptions. Nationally, a starting pharmacy technician earns an average hourly wage of about $10.00.

More Hot Moneymaking Careers

At number five on the Yahoo! list of 10 paying jobs with no college degree required is a health information technician. They organize personal data of patients for hospitals, pharmacies and health insurance companies. The median hourly wage for health information technicians ranges from $11.50 to $14.25. If you work in Los Angeles, you can make extra money selling celeb medical info to the tabloids... just kidding!

Maybe the medical field isn't your cup of tea. If you like books, then consider working as a library technician, which comes in at number six. These folks help librarians organize books, tapes and DVDs. Armed with an associate's degree, they usually work in college libraries, law firms and government agencies. Library technicians earn an average hourly wage of $14.00 to $19.25 in major cities.

Top 10 Hottest Careers, the Rest

Closing out Yahoo's top ten are:

7. Database administrators, who in large cities earns from $70,300 to $81,200; note: while not required, top database administrators often have college degrees
8. Flash animators, who earn a median salary between $50,800 and $63,900 in major cities
9. Fashion designer, whose pay in metropolitan areas ranges from $52,400 to $66,300; New York City is at the top
10. Food service managers, whose pay ranges from $37,000 and up

Which of these jobs is the best option for you? Don't just look at the job; look at what can come next as well. A great tool to see what jobs follow is GigZig, PayScale's tool for exploring the career paths taken by real people.

Of course, don't pick which job to pursue based on the pay ranges above: pay for these (and all) jobs varies greatly by location, employer, experience, skills, etc. Use the PayScale Salary Calculator as a quick and easy way to compare positions. When you want powerful salary data and comparisons customized for your exact position, be sure to build a complete profile by taking PayScale's full salary survey.

Cheers,

Dr. Al Lee

• Curious about salaries? Email Dr. Salary
• Compare your salary: Get a free Salary Report
• No College Required - Blogs.Payscale.com

Comments

[School teacher]

You want to see that to become a physical therapist assistant, you do not need any degree in medicine? I don't think it's right. And I hope you will not come across such a professional.

[student]

haha wow, why would you need a degree to assist a physical therapist? you just need to know how to serve and aid them so that they can do a better job.. and please learn to spell, mr/mrs "school teacher" :) k thanks.

[jamie]

You definitely don't need any degree in medicine to become a physical therapist assistant. I'm in training for it right now, so why don't YOU try not to be such a know it all.

[Louisville native]

I believe that (in Kentucky) you're required to have a two year degree. In my experience, the PTs & PTAs devised the treatment plan. Thereafter, the PTA did most of the work. The PT followed up afterwards.

[PTA]

You need to have a two year degree to be a Physical Therapist Assistant. You are not just an aide to the physical therapist. You actually are able to carry out exercise treatment plans and are also able to change the exercise plan and administer ultrasounds, traction, parafin bath, whirlpool, and Electrical stimulation. Also in most states you have to be licensed to be a PTA, which means you have to sit for a four hour exam. The score to pass can change from state to state. I just graduated from a PTA program and I am sitting for my test in two days.

[Carole]

The statement that no college degree is required for becoming a physical therapist assistant (PTA) is totally UNTRUE!

As a PTA, (by law) I had to graduate from an accredited 2 year PTA program and take test from a PT licensing board. The school and the test, by the way, were difficult.

So please check the facts before printing such nonsense that no degree is required for becoming a PTA.

[Dr. Al Lee, PhD]

Dear Carole,

The statement, "No college needed, just some basic medical assisting training..." is misleading. As I state elsewhere in the post, by "no college", I mean no 4-year college/university degree is required.

You are correct that, to be certified in most states, PT Assistants complete a 2-year associate’s degree. However, it is possible to move from being a PT Aide, which generally only requires a high school degree, to a PT Assistant without completing an Associates degree.

For example, California has an "Application by Equivalency" process. Work as an Aide, plus some college courses, counts as preparation to become a Physical Therapy Assistant. See http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/PHYSTAID.HTM for more.

Cheers,

Al Lee (Dr. Salary)

[Esther Lopez]

I work for a company that works with traumatic brain injury. All they required was a high school diploma and training. I assist in not only physical therapy but occupational therapy and speech therapy. It's located in California. I guess you just gotta know where to go.

[Vee]

I've just seen a post for a position I like that does not list salary info not even a salary range. Is this a new trend? why would an employer do that? Is it just because this is such a buyers market. I think it's unfair that they should expect to recieve so much personal info about an applicant without letting us know what the potential benefit is. I work to pay the bills.

[Vee]

I've just seen a post for a position I like that does not list salary info not even a salary range. Is this a new trend? why would an employer do that? Is it just because this is such a buyers market. I think it's unfair that they should expect to recieve so much personal info about an applicant without letting us know what the potential benefit is. I work to pay the bills.

[Elissa]

There are tons more jobs out there that you don't need a 4 year degree to do. I am not a big advocate of the traditional 4 year college program. Most college programs (unless you are specializing in something like medicine or engineering) don’t really prepare you for anything.

You spend a lot of money so you can get an entry level job and learn the industry. And many times you take a job that has nothing to do with what you went to school for.

I am not against education and learning, you have to learn to do anything. Many job fields out there can be done with licensing or trade schools, which specialize your training and actually prepare you for something (unlike a degree in communications).

You can go to culinary school which usually takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months. You can be a Personal Trainer, certification at the Cooper Institute takes only a few months. You can be an Insurance Agent, you need licenses but they can take only weeks if your good at studying. You can work at some financial brokerage agencies, you will need securities licensing (which isn’t the easiest thing to get), but the licenses don’t take a lot of time to get either.

Any of these jobs you have the potential to be making a six figure income, I know, I’ve seen it done. All of them will require you to start at entry level positions first, but again, so will a four year degree.

[Ashley D]

I think this is all a bunch of b.s. College is over rated; it's too expensive and a waste of time. What does a piece of paper with your name on it, and tell everyone how incredibly smart you are, because your parents paid for college and you owe your butt in college bills.

[Mike]

College like just about everything else that has been used to wash your brain in amerika is a waste of time. What the amerikan sheeple need to do immediately before the total crash hits is learn the basics...AGAIN...LIKE GROWING FOOD...DIGGING A WELL. SEWING..BAKING..BUILDING.. AND FIXING THINGS...

[Jim]

When you say "No college degree required" Is not a 2 year degree a "College" degree?

A Technical college is a College the last time I checked.

So for many of your jobs, a "College Degree" is required.

[A.J]

Man people think that if u don't go 2 college that u r not going 2 be sucessful but, guess what Mom & Dad,...iam only 23yrs old and I make 48,000.....with no degree...lol I love my job.....I became a Fire Fighter/EMT....and I don't have debt......

[Crisoforo Casarreal]

I am a good worker. I have worked in a chinese restraunt for 12 years as a cook I am now working outside in the tomatoe plants I am a very responsible and hard worker I am able to work 12 hour shifts,in the chinese restraunt I worked 12 hours a day 6 days a week. 1 day a week off I know english and spanish I am mexican I am very friendly to everyone I need a job to support my family