Posted on 10/22/2011 8:37:46 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Want to be the envy of all your worthless liberal arts degree-having friends? Become a mechanic." The economy may have yet to recover from its implosion a few years ago, but you still have bills to pay, rent checks to write and a healthy drinking habit to support, which means you need money. "I'm not qualified for anything, I don't have my degree," you might say to yourself. That's loser talk. Whoever said that you need to write the letters B.A. after your name was full of BS.
The obvious answer to your problem is "entrepreneur," but we've decided to leave that off the list since we haven't seen too many postings for "entrepreneur" on Craigslist or CareerBuilder lately. In other words, you can’t apply to be an entrepreneur, you just have to do it.
Here are the nine best jobs that you can apply for and build a career around without earning a four-year degree. Plus, you might just get a parade in your honor with one of these. Try and guess which one.
1- Firefighter
Starting salary: $32,165 - $53,608
Being a firefighter is pretty much the embodiment of a hero. You're out there saving lives and property. You're the savior to everyone who didn't pay attention to the level of oil required to fry a turkey. You save California every three or four years from burning off the face of the earth. All the while, you're keeping in top physical shape.
With a high-school diploma, a little relevant experience and the ability to perform strength-draining exertions under intense pressure, you've got a future in firefighting.
2- Police officer
Starting salary: Varies by location
If being in close to firefighter condition when you start out is something you enjoy, but that penchant for sweet, fried pastries is a vice you just cannot control, starting out as a police officer might be more your speed.
Now, for most jurisdictions, you're probably going to need an associate's degree in criminal law or 12-18 months’ worth of experience in the law enforcement business to be a proper officer, but there may be entry-level positions available.
3- Mechanic
Starting salary: $30,584 - $40,564
Want to be the envy of all your worthless liberal arts degree-having friends? Become a mechanic. Being able to fix cars around these people is like having a license to print money. Plus, it's a damned respectable and professional career choice.
Starting as a mechanic usually involves being an apprentice. You know, how useful education used to be passed along before everyone decided you should have letters after your name?
4- Appliance repairman
Starting salary: $37,345 - $56,285 (Varies widely)
Everyone has appliances that break around the house. It seems like every two months the clothes dryer decides that "blowing hot air" is no longer a part of its job description. Used to be that you'd just throw that under-performing piece of garbage out, but not in this economic maelstrom.
Working in the world of appliance repair is a lot like working in automotive repair. There are no specific education prerequisites, as most of the skill is acquired on the job. An extremely skilled repairman who isn't strictly on salary might bring in close to $50,000.
5- Plumber / Electrician
Starting salary: $35,575 - $48,833
Again, we're talking about learning a trade, so no matter how badly you screwed up in school, it doesn't matter. Granted, you can't be a moron and learn complex, potentially dangerous skills (in the case of working with live electricity) but it’s virtually guaranteed that you'll be in high demand. Not surprisingly, guys aren’t exactly lining up to work with high voltage or in sewers, so you should be able to find a niche in either, both of which are respectable trades.
Union benefits and becoming licensed are a few of the perks you have to look forward to.
6- Salesman
Starting salary: Who knows?
The salesman is truly the American job. Earn what you're worth, not a cent more. You don't need a formal education to be a salesman -- you need a brass personality and thick skin. Infrequent pay checks, constant rejection and an almost immediate repulsion from anyone you let know you're in sales are just a few of the givens of the profession.
That being said, earning potential is usually unlimited and setting your own hours can be a perk. Success or failure, this one is all on you.
7- Web designer
Starting salary: $43,591 - $57,167
Half computer hacker, half unappreciated artist, the web design field is an interesting blend of left and right brain skills that doesn't really translate into a relevant degree. If you have these seemingly opposite skills, you're in demand. With commerce, networking and research all being done on the web in large scales, the design of a website is absolutely crucial to success.
8- Occupational therapy assistant
Starting salary: $30,000 - $38,000
If you genuinely enjoy helping people (and not just saying that you do), then this might be a job to consider. Learning this position can be done either on the job, via a correspondence program or at a junior college. Rehabilitation can be a rewarding experience in and of itself.
9- Truck driver
Starting salary: $42,000 - $52,000
The lure of the open road can be the biggest perk of all. Not only that, but truck drivers are responsible for just about everything that happens in the economy. Sure, you can buy it online, but how are they going to get it to you? The truck isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
Most truck drivers have at least their high-school degree and many more beyond that go to truck driving school to learn to drive 18-wheel behemoths.
Here at AskMen.com, we're not saying that a college degree isn't worth getting. After all, a college degree nets around $20,000 a year more than you'd otherwise receive. If you can get it -- great. But if you don't have a college degree, there are plenty of respectable careers that don't require it, careers that are in demand and really make society tick along. Not too many English majors can say that.
Pharmacy technician
Salary according to experience level -
An entry level Pharmacy tech can earn $9 to $12 Per hour.
An intermediate technician which has an experience of above 2 years can get hourly income of $12 to $18.
The technician who got more than 5 years of experience can be promoted to Supervisor. Supervisors can earn a salary of $18 to $22 per hour.
Thanks for the input.
Yeah, I figure that Engineering, in general, is a good
degree to have.
I majored in Computer Science. I always respected the Physics and Engineering majors most. I survived Cal 1-3.
They do that stuff like it’s arithmetic.
Anyhow, my son is better at Math than I was at his age. So, I have been encouraging him to go that route or to major in Engineering.
I do think that vocational training can often be a better choice than some college programs. In his case, college makes sense because he wants to serve in the military. Starting off with a commission will open many doors for him in the future.
Fish and Game Warden (Median Salary: $47,830)
Like the great outdoors? Consider a career as a fish and game warden. These government employees get plenty of fresh air patrolling the areas where people hunt and fish. There are approximately 8,000 fish and game wardens stationed around the country. To apply for a job, contact your state’s Department of Personnel or the Federal Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Air Traffic Controller. - $117,240
http://www.citytowninfo.com/studies/best-careers-degree-not-required.html
ping
Might I suggest electrical engineering? Sorry to butt in. But, there are recruiters calling me and emailing me daily and weekly because of my background and experience. I get many calls for positions even for which I’m only marginally qualified or would need a year to come up to speed.
There is such a wide variety of jobs available to electrical engineers. Insist on getting a Master’s (1.5 years). It’s only about 11 more classes after the bachelor’s (4 years), but it will take him farther with more earnings. PHD even better earnings potential, but we have a nickname for that - P_ermanent H_ead D_amage. Materials science is also a very good degree to have.
Community agitator, advancement to state Senator, US Senator, President. Must be at least half-black.
Before you butt in, maybe you should read at least the title of the thread: (presented here for you)
9 Great Jobs That Don't Require A College Degree
Learn to be a welder, and you can write you own ticket in the Houston area....
Same thing in DFW and most of East Texas
If you move to San Jose, CA and become a full employed Fire Fighter or Police Officer you will earn about $200,000 In salary, benefits and cash comp.
Does require a 4 year degree though.
The “$#!T Directors” as Plumbers are known in the trades makes the best money when it comes to new Commercial and Residential construction, followed by Electricians.
I’ve known two Electricians that have died doing the “480v shuffle” as all it takes is one moment of carelessness, one night of poor sleep, a faulty voltage tester/multimeter, or some type of distraction.
Most Electricians working on commercial jobs with 240v/480v will often carry two voltage test tools in case one is faulty.
I’ve seen plenty of Electricians works on 120v while it was live, as it won’t kill you but it will give you a wake-up if you touch the hot (black) wire.
The Illegal’s are now taking over the building trades here in California, mainly roofing, but now Framing, Carpentry and more and more into the more skilled trades like Electrical.
And the IBEW will always send some thugs to a non-union job and talk to the General (General Contractor) and demand to be hired, and if not, they will make veiled threats about “how it would be too bad if something were to happen to the electrical wiring that’s already been pulled.”
A friend of mine is an Electrician and I worked with him one Summer when I was out of work doing the basics, like pulling Romex on Residential jobs and other basics on a Commercial job and some of these IBEW thugs showed up at a Commercial job that was financed by a very wealthy man, but you wouldn’t know it looking at him.
He drove an older pickup truck and made it a point to know the name of every worker on this particular job, from the laborers to the highest-paid workers and there were at least 50-100 different people on this job, depending on what phase of construction we were in.
Anyways, these IBEW thugs showed up and threatened him and when he refused to capitulate to them, the IBEW thugs told him “I hope you have a good attorney” to which he replied “I have 27 attorneys on retainer. Take your pick.”
Within 4 hours, a court injunction was issued against the IBEW preventing them from picketing within 2,000’ of the job site.
This guy had some major dollars and clout, but you would never know it looking at him or talking to him, as he was down to earth and dressed like his worker’s and drove an older economy pickup-truck.
Most people didn’t even know he was the big boss.
Seeing the look on the IBEW’s thugs faces when he told them he had 27 attorneys on retainer was priceless, and the union thugs threateningly said “we’ll be back” but before they had a chance to do so, they were slapped with the above described court injunction.
Hey Rod; we also make the best money in repair. Until I retired in 2010, I always loved Thanksgiving and Christmas for the early afternoon emergency repair calls. Big bucks to be made there. When the kitchen or toilet won’t drain, or the water won’t shut off they have to call now.
ping
Sign me up! I don’t know where you’re from, but I work with exactly what you just described every day, and the pay tops out at about 40k a year, with experience. Yeah, employers around here have driven down the wage scale that much. That’s why I plan to move out west.
Conservative radio talk show host!
Hubby's been a repair plumber for almost 20 years, and he never minds pulling call on the holidays.
Not only is the pay pretty good, folks usually tip......and offer to feed him too!
He nets around $60K a year, [which in Texas is a respectful salary] and the only degree he has is in an unrelated field.
If your career is pencil pushing, punching on a keyboard, living on the phone and any other skill other than a trade, you are in serious danger of being wiped out if we experience a collapse of our economy.
However, if you have learned a trade and carefully cared for it over the years, you will never be out of work.
When you have the actual “hands on” ability to repair or build something, there is always a demand for your services. In bad financial times, the demand increases.
“I’ve seen plenty of Electricians works on 120v while it was live, as it won’t kill you but it will give you a wake-up if you touch the hot (black) wire.”
black only if it came out of panel box that way .. have had the (white) get me before bacause of DIY just not understanding uniformity
BS Degree: Nope, not Bachelor of Science, but "Bull-Sheet!"
MS Degree: Masters? Wrong! "More of the same!"
PHD Degree: This one's simple: "Piled higher and deeper!"
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