BTW, there is an Automotive Engineering Technology Degree (Baccalaureate—4 years) for mechanics in a Midwestern University, and I’ve seen some car dealers who require that degree for any hiring consideration. One of those dealers (largest in a fair sized city) paid $7 an hour in 1991 for graduates with that degree.
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CEO of Microsoft.
No high school? It's OK. You could have been the CEO of ABC Supply and died a billionaire; or the CEO of J.R. Simplot (and major shareholder in Micron Technologies), and died a billionaire; or you could have become a machinist who adopted a baby that grew up to be Steve Jobs.
What did civilization do before institutionalized, organized education came along to make everyone competent?
More importantly, how the hell do we free ourselves from its deadly tentacles?
I believe, for those that don’t have a degree, sales has the most potential of anything listed above.
Everything that is bought has been sold, usually at several levels before it gets to the end user.
With off and on attendance I took several extra years to get through high school but I found something that interested me, learned it and eventually moved up from the entry level delivery / warehouse position I started at into outside sales.
I’ve not gotten rich (yet) but have raised a family, kept them fed and a roof over their heads and, come December, the last of my kids will graduate from college (the other 2 already have and are gainfully employed).
Sales isn’t for everyone but for those that have the ability it can be a good way to make a living.
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.
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
Community agitator, advancement to state Senator, US Senator, President. Must be at least half-black.
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.
ping
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.
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!"
After I graduated HS, I wanted to go to college but couldn’t afford it and my parents couldn’t help, and besides, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in so I started out in retail part time, but I worked hard and quickly moved up to management – at 19, I was the youngest store manager the chain ever had and turned around several failing stores. But I worked my ass off, sometimes up to 80 hours a week.
When I got sick of retail, I got a job as an administrative assistant for an architecture firm in construction administration. I didn’t have any experience but I did have familiarity with construction and construction terminology having sort of grown up around it. I had never used a computer either but soon found I had a real aptitude, especially with databases and spreadsheets. I worked very hard, took on projects outside of my job description, got to be friends with the CAD and IT manager and learned a lot about computers and when the bookkeeper left, I was offered that position even though I didn’t know the difference between a debit or a credit. But once again, I worked hard, learned as I went and was never afraid to ask questions and pushed myself to learn as much as possible.
After working as a bookkeeper for that firm and then a general contractor for many years as a full charge bookkeeper and office manager, I eventually landed a job with a pharmaceutical company after the GC closed when the owner retired. I started out as just a temp on a fixed asset project due to my very strong computer and Excel skills. I was told there was no fulltime position but about a month later I was offered one as a payroll manager (although I was the entire PR department so I was sort of managing myself.) : )
While at the pharma, a publically traded company BTW, I also was given charge of the AP department, supervising two AP clerks and eventually was promoted to a senior staff accountant, promoted over a few who had accounting degrees – again myself having no degree. I worked a lot of hours (usually in before 8AM and not leaving until 7 or 8 PM) and had a lot of responsibilities and a lot of stress, but I loved my job. I probably would still be with the pharma had they not been sold to a bigger pharma and the accounting functions moved out of state.
I moved on to a tech company that specialized in HR systems and third party insurance administration, supervising the department and a staff of three that provided premium billing, COBRA administration and data audits of insurance company enrollments. I really honed my tech skills and sort of self taught myself some programming language along the way and became the office “Excel” guru and learned a lot about insurance and benefits. I was making close to 70k per year BTW. That company had some very serious cash flow and management problems so when I saw an opportunity I moved on. I took a position as independent contractor for a firm where one of my former manager’s went to implement a new payroll and HRIS system. Unfortunately that didn’t work out and the contract ended after less than six months but I did pick up some new skills and knowledge.
Unfortunately this happened at the height of the economic downturn and I was unemployed for over a year. I think, even though I had great skills and excellent references, my lack of a degree hurt me and I couldn’t get a job for a time, any job for that matter, and I even applied to Walmart as a greeter! Eventually I got a part time seasonal job at Target and worked my ass off, and then got a full time job as a COBRA administrator (working two jobs for a time) but for a whole lot less $ money than what I previously made and in much lower position, but I was happy just to have a job and worked hard and again, learned as much as I could while I was there.
I now have a much better job as a payroll and HRIS manager for a manufacturing division of a multi-national company. I’m not quite up to my previous high salary level but I’m making over 50k, have great benefits and absolutely love my job! I actually look forward to going to work and it must show because after only three months, my manager gave me an excellent 90 day review and a salary increase.
The bottom line is that I’m not special or even what I would consider brilliant by any means, but I work hard, apply myself, look for opportunities to learn more (even doing so on my own time) take on any and all projects as assigned and do the best I can.
Ironically if I had an accounting degree, I might not be doing any better than I am now financially excepting perhaps having an MBA or working in public accounting (which I don’t think I’d like) or being a CFO, which is not my passion in life. I love payroll and information systems management. And I’m very good at it.
My advice for anyone who can’t afford college or doesn’t have the aptitude for it; take the best job you can get and apply yourself, make your job your passion even if it isn’t your life’s passion. Learn everything you can, ask questions, lots of questions even if it isn’t directly related to your job. Work overtime when it’s offered, don’t turn down any assignment even if it isn’t in your job description or you’re not going to be paid extra for it or you find it “beneath you”. Respect your boss but don’t be afraid to challenge him or her when appropriate. Respect your co-workers like you want to be respected. Be loyal to your company and follow the rules but if you find a better opportunity - take it. If at all possible, never burn bridges and if you leave a job, leave it on the best terms possible. Keep on good terms with former bosses and co-workers; they can be great recourses and references for a future job. Don’t be afraid to take a lower position or lower paying job if that’s all you can get but make the absolute best of it and learn everything you can from the experience and parley those new skills for your next job.
Eventually however, with or without a degree, you must follow your bliss; find what you really like doing and be the very best you can at doing it. Do these things and you will do eventually do well even without a college degree.
Air Traffic Controller. Highest paid profession that does not require a degree.
The wages on the truck driver are going to fall now that Mexican trucks can cross the border.
I work in Astronomy. I also do side work fabricating electrical wiring harnesses (thanks in part to the US Navy for that training). I make a decent salary, although in California, so it’s relative. I have a HS degree. For a guy in my position, the key to employment is who you know, and how well you sell yourself. Get yourself known to people (especially the important ones) in your field. Networking, I think it’s called.
Founder and CEO of Microsoft.
Project Manager: $35,000-$125,000
Computer Programmer: $50,000-$125,000
Business Owner: $0 - $Loads.
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