No College Degree Necessary

Matthew Winchester, Staff Writer

Landing a high paying job doesn’t require an MBA degree. Actually, in many cases, it doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree.

College isn’t for everybody. It takes many years to complete and will land a person in plenty of debt. There are dozens of occupations that reward their workers for skills they can learn outside of a classroom.

CNBC Make It analyzed some data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and identified the top paying occupations that don’t require a college degree. Of course, individuals can’t obtain these jobs with just a high school degree. They will need to go through some form of learning or obtain some kind of certificate.

One of these jobs is a systems operator. System operators make an average of $86,410 per year. These workers control the flow of electricity as it travels from generating stations to users. To become a systems operator, you’ll need a high school diploma and several years of onsite training experience.Another high paying job that doesn’t require a college degree is a nuclear power plant operator. The average yearly pay is $94,350. People who work this job control nuclear reactors. Their job is to adjust control rods to affect how much electricity a reactor generates. A high school diploma is the only thing required for this job, however, on-the-job training may also be required.

Being a detective is also a high paying job that doesn’t require a college degree. Detectives make an average of $81,920. Their job is to collect evidence and gather facts from criminal cases. To become a detective, a person will need a high school diploma. However, some police agencies require a college degree.

The final high paying job on this list is an elevator installer. Elevator installers make an average of $79,780 a year. Their job is to install, fix and maintain elevators. Becoming an elevator installer requires a four-year apprenticeship program sponsored by the union and a high school diploma.

A college degree is not required to be successful. There are plenty of jobs that can give you a good pay.