Jobs are available — no degree required
No college? That’s no problem. A wide array of jobs — many of them wellpaying — don’t require a degree. Moreover, some cities are particularly friendly to workers who don’t have a college education. These are the results of data compiled by a personal finance site called FinanceBuzz and SideHusl.com.
“When I was growing up in the ’90s, they said you’ve got to go to college. But that is changing a bit,” said Josh Koebert, a data scientist with FinanceBuzz. “There are plenty of people who can have great jobs and great lives without a college degree.”
Indeed, SideHusl.com data indicate that many highly paid positions don’t require college. The best college-optional jobs are in tech, logistics, construction, marketing, landscape and design. However, many other industries welcome those without degrees.
FinanceBuzz’s analysis of the cities friendliest to those without degrees found that they were almost always heavy in hospitality, construction and manufacturing. The key, Koebert said, is skilled labor.
Las Vegas was ranked in the FinanceBuzz research as the top city for those without a degree. One thing that made it stand out is that the many croupiers, or dealers, at gaming tables don’t need a college education but have unique skills that are in high demand. Top-end hospitality workers also don’t need a degree.
Riverside, Calif., is another top city, due to construction and manufacturing, he said. You learn to frame houses, do electrical work and other skilled trades on the job, not in school. The same holds true in heavy manufacturing.
“You can start as an apprentice and have a great pathway to success,” Koebert said.
SideHusl.com’s data underscore the point. Workers who sign up with TaskRabbit, for instance, offer everything from deep cleaning to to running errands. Many charge $25 to $100 per hour, depending on the city and the service.
Dog sitters, who would fall under the broad category of “hospitality,” are also highly paid. In Los Angeles, pet sitters with Rover charge $25 to $100 per night, per dog.
Meanwhile, resume writers, voice-over artists and musicians registered with Fiverr say they can easily earn six-figure incomes, and no one cares about their educational backgrounds.
Construction, landscaping and logistics are also high-earning jobs that require skills but not college.
Logistics companies, which arrange deliveries for the online retail community, may demand a commercial driver’s license but not college. With that license, you can easily earn $100,000 a year. Platforms such as GoShare and Truxx require only a clean background, strength, a truck or van and insurance. With that, you can earn more than $50 an hour.
JiffyOnDemand helps workers find lawn care and other skilled work. For example, lawn care is billed out at rates ranging from $50 to $75 per hour, which nets the freelancer $41 to $61 hourly.
Although full-time employers in tech or marketing often require college credentials to get an interview, platforms for side hustles are far more interested in experience.
Mayple, which connects companies in need of marketing expertise with freelancers, expects two or more years of experience, but there’s no education requirement. Once there, freelancers are connected with part-time jobs that pay $1,200 to $6,000 per month, which usually works out to $50 to $200 per hour.
In the technology field, certifications indicating that you’re an expert in fields as diverse as user experience and cybersecurity are as valuable as college degrees. With these, or proficiency in a tech topic, you can find work through a wide array of freelance sites, including FreeUp and Braintrust.