Resume Genius released its most updated list of high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree. To be honest, the list includes lots of jobs that will require either a degree or some kind of training, so nobody should get their hopes up too high. Additionally, when Resume Genius says “college degree,” they mean a four-year degree, not degrees from community colleges.
The top non-degree job on the list is “airline pilot.” The site does make a point of saying that an applicant does not technically need a degree to be a commercial airline pilot, but that doesn’t mean you can expect to join the flight crew anytime soon. You do need to go to flight school – multiple times to earn various certificates – which is expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand, there is a growing shortage of airline pilots. The field is expected to grow by about 4% over the next decade.
The list also sees opportunity in information security, with job openings in that field growing by about one-third in the next decade. Employers are willing to fill these positions with candidates who may not possess a four year degree. The field of information security relies primarily on experience, so if a candidate has the right experience, having a degree becomes less important.
Web developers, medical sonographers, flight attendants, and industrial equipment techs will all be in double-digit demand over the next decade. It’s not likely that one could expect to snag a medical sonography job without at least an associate degree, but the rest of the high-growth jobs rely more on experience than academic degrees.
Community colleges need better recruiting strategies
It is worth pointing out that a lot of employers don’t consider a two-year degree to count as a college degree. That is yet another reason why students are bypassing the community college system in favor of four-year degrees or direct entry into the workforce. Prospective students want to be absolutely certain that they will get a positive return on investment for the time and money they will need to devote to earning a four-year degree. If employers don’t accept a two-year degree (or less) as a post-secondary degree, there’s little justification in pursuing one.
Of course, if community colleges could provide a better rate of return on their degree programs, they’d be much more likely to attract students. Unfortunately, community colleges don’t seem to be done with their love affair with low-wage work. Until that changes, people will be more likely to take their chances on direct entry into the workforce, or alternative training programs like trade schools and flight schools.
Photo Credit: Kent Wien, via Flickr
