High-paying jobs that don’t require a degree

There are plenty of jobs that pay really well, but don’t require you to have attended university.

Salaries have been on the up over the last year.

Indeed, the rate of growth was so big at points last year that it caused the Government to pause the State Pension triple lock, given that the rate of earnings growth was above 8% and would have led to unaffordable hikes in pension costs.

Of course, part of that comes down to the comparison with the year before, when earnings crashed as a result of the pandemic and the introduction of things like the furlough scheme. 

Nonetheless, it’s true that earnings have been rising consistently for some time.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, average total weekly earnings in October reached £586, compared to £497 in October 2016, £456 in October 2011 and £404 in October 2006.

Earning more without a degree

Of course, not all jobs are equal, with the earnings on offer varying massively depending on your role. What’s more, while it is often the case that having a degree will help you secure a job paying higher amounts, it’s not a given.

In fact, there are some seriously high-paying jobs that do not require a degree at all.

New analysis from jobs website Adzuna has analysed job adverts from the end of last year to pick out the top-paying roles on offer to jobseekers who did not spend three years at university.

Here’s how the top 25 jobs look according to that analysis.

Experience versus qualifications 

First of all, it’s worth pointing out that each and every one of these roles delivers salaries significantly above the national average salary of around £26,000.

What’s more, in some cases those salaries are far higher than the average.

In top spot is the role of scrum master, a job title that let’s be honest isn’t going to be one that is familiar to many people, yet during November there were 677 such job openings.

It’s a tech job, which covers working with teams that make use of scrum frameworks, a way of organising people to deliver on a project. 

As scrum master, you’d be tasked with motivating and monitoring those teams, meaning that good communication and interpersonal skills are crucial. While having some ‘scrum know-how’ is vital for gaining one of these jobs, a degree isn’t a must.

Not far behind is the role of construction manager, of which there were 457 jobs that needed filling in November.

Construction as an industry has boomed over the last year, which has only boosted the chances of those in the industry moving up the ranks and securing an excellent salary, no matter their qualifications.

Working in the aviation industry can deliver excellent salaries too, without the need to attend university.

A role as a commercial pilot was the fourth-highest paying job picked out by Adzuna, while air traffic controllers can also expect to earn around £50,000, which is good enough for ninth spot on the list.

While you don’t need a degree in order to train in either of these roles, you may be required to have at least five GCSEs, including in subjects like English, science and maths.

Other eye-catching roles include food safety inspectors, which will require you to obtain specialist food safety certifications but not necessarily a degree, while traditional trades like working as an electrician, plumber or carpenter can mean you secure a cracking wage. 

Finally, it’s worth noting that emerging industries don’t necessarily put as much value on qualifications as industries of old. In 17th spot is the job of influencer marketing manager, which is now apparently a thing.

According to Adzuna, the job involves helping bring together brands with influencers ‒ you know, those people who apparently make a living from posting pictures on Instagram and other forms of social media.

It may sound like my idea of hell, but it certainly delivers a decent income, with an average advertised salary above £40,000.

It’s worth noting that while you may not need a degree to qualify for some of these roles, you will need relevant experience or qualifications.

So while a degree is not the be-all-and-end-all, it doesn’t mean that a blank CV will be enough to land you the post.