Best Careers Without a College Degree 2017
You don't need a bachelor's or even an associate's to land one of these jobs.
We analyzed pay, projected job growth and educational requirements for 785 occupations to identify the best jobs you can land without a college degree. Take a look at our list of 10 promising careers, starting with the highest-paying jobs, that don’t call for a bachelor’s or even an associate’s degree to get hired.
Elevator Installer
Median annual salary: $80,870 (All jobs: $43,233)
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 16.7% (All jobs: 8.6%)
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Commercial Pilot
Median annual salary: $75,744
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 14.8%
Electrical Power-Line Installer
Median annual salary: $66,213
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 16.1%
Office Support Supervisor
Median annual salary: $52,602
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 11.7%
Industrial Machinery Mechanic
Median annual salary: $49,537
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 19.2%
Computer User Support Specialist
Median annual salary: $48,685
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 16.4%
Surgical Technologist
Median annual salary: $45,064
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 16.2%
Licensed Practical Nurse
Median annual salary: $43,201
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 17.6%
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers
Median annual salary: $36,872
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 18.4%
Dental Assistant
Median annual salary: $36,788
Projected job growth, 2016-2026: 19.6%
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Rapacon joined Kiplinger in October 2007 as a reporter with Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and became an online editor for Kiplinger.com in June 2010. She previously served as editor of the "Starting Out" column, focusing on personal finance advice for people in their twenties and thirties.
Before joining Kiplinger, Rapacon worked as a senior research associate at b2b publishing house Judy Diamond Associates. She holds a B.A. degree in English from the George Washington University.
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