The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
No College Degree Necessary For These Jobs
Earning a good living is impossible without a good job. In recent years, we have become more aware that those high-paying jobs don’t require the four-year education that we were always told was necessary. There plenty of high earners out there with no college degree. Here are four examples of jobs that pay well without requiring four years of education.
Welders
Don’t confuse the equipment with the person, even though they share a name. A (human) welder only requires a few months of training on welding equipment, such as a used Miller XMT 350 CC CV welder, to be qualified for a job in construction, manufacturing, or utilities with a nice hourly wage as well as great job security and plenty of options about where to work. The work is not just lucrative but also very rewarding as you can look back at a day’s work and see visible progress toward completion. Try doing that in an office job.
The country is crisscrossed by countless power lines, telephone cables, and data networks. Keeping all of those in working order–and building them as technology is upgraded or equipment goes out of date–provides some great earnings for workers who became qualified for the work with a training program that only takes a few months to complete.
Aircraft Pilots
The steady flow of people and goods around the country requires another crisscrossed network, one that’s even higher than utility lines. Airplanes and helicopters are constantly in motion for many different purposes. This steady activity means there is always plenty of work for qualified pilots. The great news? No college is required for to become a commercial pilot. Simply complete a course through an FAA-accredited school and you’ll be qualified to sit behind the controls of a commercial aircraft.
Heating & Cooling
If you’re reading this indoors, chances are the space is climate controlled. We often take for granted that we’ll have heat and air conditioning when we want them, but the installation, maintenance, and repair of those systems requires the skill and expertise of qualified technicians. Those workers have completed a training course through a vocational or technical school that has enabled them to get a good job with the satisfaction of new construction and fixing problems for very hot (or very cold) customers.
There will always be a need for bachelor’s degrees in the workforce, but not everybody needs one. Careers like these will always provide opportunities for people who want a shorter educational path to help them reach their goals.
