Tap to Read ➤

Careers That Pay Well with Little Schooling

Dhanashree Patane
Here is a vital information about careers that pay well with little schooling. Read on and it will be helpful for you to understand how you can earn well even if you are not very highly educated.
All of us wish to have a dream career, that is a quick ladder to a good job, success, and a hearty pay check. A good degree certainly earns respect, and is a smooth way towards the best of jobs. However, there is good news down the road of minimal schooling too. The requirement for well paying jobs is not limited to a bachelor's degree and more.
You can get a job that pays well with minimal schooling also. Although, there can be minimum qualification requirements for some of these jobs as well. With post school training, or the required skill set training, a good and satisfying job is not a far fetched dream.

With the growing economy and globalization, new jobs have emerged in various sectors, and not all these jobs rely on the number of educational certificates one has on his resume.

List of High Paying Careers

Given here are careers you can start building, without a bachelor's degree or the likes. The bonus here is you save time, and start making money early.

Air Traffic Controllers

This job is one of the best, and mainly defines managing air traffic, safe landings and take offs of air planes, relaying important information, communicating with the pilots, etc.


To be an FAA-certified air traffic controller, one must complete FAA schooling and on-job-training, must pass a pre-employment test, and meet federal requirements. To become fully certified, two to four years of training may be needed.

An average salary with benefits may range around $39,262 - $153,245 per year for a professional in this field. More one gains the experience; more one earns in this field. Aviation stands as a good option in terms of growth.

Industrial Production Manager

This job mainly requires leadership abilities, to be able to handle and oversee the sales and statistics of the company. To plan smooth production , within the budget and also make the process of production more efficient.
Though having a graduate degree is preferred for this job, it is not mandatory. Aviation and auto mobile companies mainly hire for this job, and the average salary can be around $69,159 per year.

Funeral Director

This particular job is about making all the arrangements for a funeral. They provide appropriate and well-organized services to the family of the deceased. It is a tough task to deal with dead bodies and mourning relatives of the deceased. They are also known as morticians or undertakers.
Mortuary programs in college last from two to four years. You also need to pass an exam and obtain a state license. The average salary that one can draw is around $45,292.

First-Line Police and Detective Supervisors

They mainly have to investigate and resolve personnel problems, develop policies and procedures of the department. By achieving good performance reviews, with clearing exams in the department, police and detective supervisors job can get you good promotions. The average salary for this job is around $53,704.

Sales Representative for Wholesale, Technical, Pharmaceutical, and Scientific Products

This job entails planning for sale of products, promoting and making customers interested in a certain product. Usually, no higher education is required, if you are zealous, hard-working, and have excellent sales skills. This job is always on the list for great careers with little schooling. An average salary of around $52,942 can be drawn with this job.

Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents

This job requires good public relations and human network. It does not require any specific degree or course as such, but you will need to pass and exam and obtain a state license. You can draw an average salary of around $45,737 and more. Real estate is one of the easy careers that pay well.

Police and Sheriff Patrol Officers

They maintain law and order, investigate accidents, apprehend and arrest suspects, direct traffic, and also patrol areas. The usual qualification is high school education. Some departments may also require a college degree. The average salary one can draw is around $49,297. The base salary can also go high, in terms of over time.

Firefighter Managers

This job is to tackle various emergency situations like  fire, protect the public, also rescue trapped victims, ventilate burned buildings, etc. This job may be stressful, and it requires leadership skills and the ability to resolve conflicts. A high school diploma or similar education is required. The average salary that can be drawn is around $50,956.

Occupational Therapist Assistants

This job is to assist occupational therapists, help the injured patients recover or compensate for lost motor skills, and keep a record of the patients improvements. They also create social and leisure activities for the patients.
They work in clinics, nursing homes, schools, and government agencies. One needs to have a positive and encouraging attitude. With a good post secondary education, you can draw an average salary with bonus between the range of $35,603 - $71,064 a year.

Court Reporter

The requirement for this job is the training to be able to type 200 words per minute, document speeches, legal proceedings, and conversations. In many courts, they also assist trial attorneys.
A qualifying degree or education is not compulsory for this job. With a few months of training, one can also work conveniently from home. This job is expected to grow in the coming years, and the average salary one can draw is around $49,573 per year.

Physical Therapists Assistants

This job includes assisting physical therapists. To help patients improve mobility, reduce pain, and overcome disabilities or injuries. They help oversee various procedures and exercises in therapy.
They generally work in hospitals, nursing homes, and treatment centers. Being in the list of highest paying careers, one can earn well with this kind of job in health care services. Depending upon the experience, the average salary may range between $39,444 - $69,952 per year.
There are many jobs like these, which may help you make a good career, like opportunities in law enforcement, sales, and health care are fast emerging.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the fastest growing careers in the coming years, 8 out of 10 occupations will not require a bachelor's degree. For those who could not attend college for a degree, look forward to some training for these jobs, and kick start your career.
Hopefully, this information on careers that pay well with less education, has made you cherish your dream of a good job and a successful career.
Education, however, still holds its value and respect. What is important is the way you perceive knowledge. There is a difference in studying to improve what you have and studying to make money only. You have to draw the line when analyzing, learning for a living, and learning for its soul purpose!
Disclaimer: The ranges of a salary/income mentioned in this write-up are based on the reports by www.salary.com. The ranges may change depending upon the year, the employee and/or the location/city/state/nation or you would want to work.