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Gone are the days when college degrees were requisite for successful careers — and even the age-old axiom of “C’s make degrees” no longer stands as student loan debt is soaring, thrusting higher education further out of reach and relevancy.
Student loan debt is now the second-highest consumer debt category after mortgages, according to a study by EducationData.org. Sixty-five percent of college students graduate with student debt, and now, student loan debt growth is outpacing the rise in tuition costs by more than 359 percent, the same study stated.
What’s more is employers’ noted shift toward skill-based application assessment over educational requirements, according to a recent Harvard Business School study. Employers’ reduced degree requirements for middle-skill positions and 31 precent of high-skill positions were reduced by 46 percent between 2017 and 2019, the report said.
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And the trend of “degree inflation” a concept that gained traction in the early 2000s when employers began adding degree requirements to job descriptions that previously had not required degrees, but the jobs themselves remained the same — slowly died down after the Great Recession and continues to tumble, all according to the same report.
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As the market currently stands, there is an unprecedented and untapped spectrum of opportunities for high-paying jobs without a college degree, and some with six-figure earning potential. From flight attendants, bartenders, and yoga instructors to massage therapists and medical assistants, ZipRecruiter, the #1 rated job site in the U.S., is your source for scouting and securing these opportunities.
Here, we detail the highest paying jobs that earn impressive incomes without the worry of student loan debt.
Flight Attendant
Median Annual Wage: $59,050, with the top 90 percent of flight attendants making over $115,000 per year.
Level of Difficulty: High school diploma or GED is the minimum education level required for most airlines.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific or remote.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Over 248,700.
Being a flight attendant can be a very exciting job for those seeking travel opportunities and a sense of adventure. Aside from the obvious pros such as getting paid to see the world, flying benefits, lifestyle flexibility, and free time, cons include low starting wages, stress, and chronic fatigue. However, if world travel is a priority, being a flight attendant could be a great way to start or transition your career onto an exciting and fulfilling path.
Salaries for this profession vary, with entry-level applicants earning around $38,000 per year and more experienced professionals earning six figures, all without a college degree.
Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artist
Median Annual Wage: $75,730
Level of Difficulty: License requirements vary by state, but a high school diploma, self-taught talent, or a short-term program at cosmetology school — for New York State the requirement is a 1,000-hour course — will prepare an individual for a career in this field.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Approximately 4,800.
Theatrical and performance makeup artists lead an exciting life visiting sets, liaising with television and movie stars, and engaging in a highly creative work life. Critical skills in this field include active listening, conversational skills, customer service, and an eye for art and design.
Success in this profession is reputation based and individuals are recommended by word of mouth, so networking is a crucial component of finding new opportunities and solidifying one’s name in the industry.
Talented theatrical and performance makeup artists can offer clients complexity and simplicity for their looks, which will often need to vary based on time periods, genres, and the overall tone and type of production.
Bartender
Median Annual Wage: Between $45,000-$73,000, with greater earning potential in bigger cities that can exceed $100,000 per year.
Level of Difficulty: No degree required.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Approximately 485,330.
Those who delight in day drinking and night owls should consider bartending a full-time profession or serious side hustle, as the cream of the crop can bring in over $100,000 per year without a college degree.
Starting as a barback, hostess or server in a bar or restaurant is an excellent place to start. A bartending license is not required for all states, but it can certainly help if the position is competitive.
Interested professionals should consider reading Rob Doherty’s “Highball: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Professional Bartender,” which details how to rake in over $100,000 per year in the profession.
Yoga Instructor
Median Annual Wage: $60,000, ranging between $31,000-$100,000 per year
Level of Difficulty: Yoga teacher training programs cost within the realm of $3,000, but programs abroad offer significantly cheaper training options.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific or remote.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Over 100,000.
Teaching yoga is career that offers community, wellness benefits and a built-in fitness routine. Yoga instruction has grown dramatically over the years, with over 7,000 registered yoga studios in the U.S. to date.
Yoga instruction offers lower levels of stress, stronger immunity, increased flexibility and enabling of strengthening one’s own practice while also teaching others. It’s a career focused on personal passion and sharing that passion with likeminded individuals.
With over 36 million yogis in the U.S. alone, there is indeed a demand for instruction. However, pay scale is associated with location, as cities such as San Francisco, Boston, and New York offer more competitive pay than smaller U.S. metropolises.
Executive Chef
Median Annual Wage: $73,870, with the range typically falling between $62,957 and $89,312.
Level of Difficulty: Taking courses or attending culinary school is suggested, but to become an executive chef there is no mandatory certification or training that is required.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: 135,236
Approximately 18,800 openings for chefs and head cooks are projected each year, on average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – and for a job that allows for earnings of over $100,000 per year without a college degree, it offers a slew of enticing lifestyle options for individuals interested in the culinary arts.
Working for oneself, great salary opportunities and a highly energetic, creative atmosphere make an executive chef career fulfilling and exciting. Interested individuals should consider an entry-level, line cook positions in a kitchen to learn the ropes, working up to sous-chef and eventually a senior chef.
Thinking on your feet, thriving in a high stress environment and limitless creativity are foundational for a career as an executive chef.
Author or Freelance Writer
Median Annual Wage: $49,046 per year, and can vary from $15,080 to $127,816 per year, depending on experience and level of success.
Level of Difficulty: No degrees or experience required, but professionals seriously considering this career track should take writing classes and network with other writers in their chosen niche.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific or remote.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Over 49,000.
Freedom, flexibility and living a creative, passionate work life are some of the benefits of this career track, and the quality of content put forward will determine any level of success in this field. Becoming an author or freelance writer means you get to make the rules, be your own boss, and work on a diverse range of content – however, it’s up to the individual to ensure that there is a continuous flow of assignments and paychecks each month, which can be very stressful for some professionals.
Individuals interested in this field should be confident in the content they produce and be able to handle extreme rejection and risk; but of course, this is all coupled with very high rewards.
Real Estate Agent
Median Annual Wage: $49,999, with the highest 10 percent of earners making more than $112,000.
Level of Difficulty: No degree is required, and certification requirements vary by state.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific. Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Over 2 million, with Florida having more realtors than any other state.
Unlimited income potential in real estate sales allows for thinking and dreaming big – but slow periods, long hours and the critical need for a wide-ranging and impressive network are key to success in this field. Flexibility is perhaps the greatest perk of this job, and that freedom comes with being paid on a commission-only basis, as well as the possibility of working without paychecks for extended periods of time. Professionals that seriously consider this career track must be comfortable with self-promotion, paperwork, customer service, and hustling for business. If that all sounds feasible, a career in this field could be extremely lucrative.
Doula
Wage Range: $15,000-$100,000 per year Level of Difficulty: Doula certification is not required but attending training through a credible organization will equip professionals for the job and allow for charging of higher rates.
Location and/or Remote: Immediate access to clients is critical for this profession, so living and working in the same city is required. Larger metropolises such as New York City or San Francisco typically command higher rates for services.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Approximately 9,000 registered doulas.
For anyone that loves babies and the pregnancy process, becoming a doula is a career that can lead up to $100,000 per year or more, depending on location and frequency of services. Doulas, who provide non-medical emotional, physical, and informational support to pregnant people and families during pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period, focus on helping women feel safe and empowered through the birthing experience. As an advocate for the mother, their one-on-one care is continuous and typically begins several months before the baby is due.
Organizations such as DONA International (DONA) and Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) are excellent resources for interested professionals.
Detective and Criminal Investigators
Median Annual Wage: $79,970
Level of Difficulty: High school diploma and some additional coursework, but requirements vary by state.
Location and/or Remote: Location flexible, though urban areas likely have a higher demand for this vocation.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: 107,890
Put your Netflix-inspired and mystery novel criminality skills to work by becoming a Detective or Criminal Investigator. Through conducting interviews, examining records, observing activities of suspects, investigative procedures, and taking part in raids and arrests, these types of law enforcement officers collect evidence and gather facts to help solve criminal cases – the best part? It pays over $70K without a college degree, though some government agencies may require at least a high school diploma or some additional coursework.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career growth for these workers is projected to increase by 7 percent from 2020-2030, which is approximately as fast as the national average.
Personal Trainer
Median Annual Wage: $46,245 to $78,747, with the average salary of $64,100, but statistics vary significantly by location as larger cities offer significantly higher salaries for personal trainers.
Level of Difficulty: Completion of a personal training certification program.
Location and/or Remote: Location specific or remote.
Number of People Employed in the U.S.: Approximately 340,000.
Akin to yoga instruction, personal training is a career rooted in passion – but relationship building through one-on-one instruction and continuous, physically noticeable results for clients are key to continuity and success in the field. While entry-level trainers typically earn about $25 per hour, more experienced professionals can earn up to $100 per hour. Particularly passionate and charismatic individuals may earn over $100,000 per year without a college degree, especially if entrepreneurship and creativity play a role. A lot of success in this field boils down to marketing yourself well and developing authentic branding around training methodologies and personality.
To differentiate in the space, professionals can develop specialties for personal training such as pregnant women, high-performance athletics, nutrition, body transformation, or training senior citizens.
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