15 high-paying jobs that don't require a degree: earn up to £50k

With student debt becoming unmanageable for many, new research reveals the top-paying jobs for those who didn’t go to university.

Going to university isn’t the only route into a high-earning job.

In fact, there are a host of professions that don’t require a degree and pay well above the national average.

According to research reported in The Sun, job site Adzuna has crunched the numbers from its own listings to identify 15 jobs that pay more than £25 per hour.

To put this into context, this would equal a salary of almost £43,000 per year – far higher than the average UK salary of £35,724 (according to ONS data).

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The strange-sounding job paying £50,000

Coming in at the top of Adzuna’s listings is the job of rope access technician, which commands a princely hourly rate of £30, which would add up to more than £50,000 per year.

Next up, were the roles of agile coach and UI designer, with hourly rates of £27.21 and £27.15 respectively.

If you’ve never heard of some of these job titles, don’t worry – we’ll explain in more detail below.

Do you need a degree?

Interestingly, all the jobs on Adzuna’s list are open to those without any letters after their name.

This is particularly relevant when you consider that figures from the Student Loans Company show that the average debt for students who started their course in 2023-24 will be £42,900.

It’s also noteworthy that several of the professions on the list – including voiceover artist and copywriter – are often cited as being at risk due to the rise of AI.

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What do these job titles actually mean?

When reading the list, chances are that some of these job titles are unfamiliar to you.

They were to us, so we did a little digging.

If you were to land the lucrative role of ‘rope access technician’, your work would mainly involve rope-related maintenance tasks such as welding, pressure washing and façade cleaning.

Or maybe you fancy a career as an ‘agile coach’.

These are project managers who are responsible for helping businesses to navigate periods of change and become more productive.

Taking 12th place in the tables, a farrier is someone who is specially trained in shoeing horses and hoof care.

Although you may imagine that butlers belong to a bygone era, there are still several academies and institutes specialising in the field.

The tasks of a modern-day butler include anything from paying bills and polishing silver to looking after pets and wardrobe management.

If this sounds appealing, you could bag a little over £18 per hour in the role.

Have your say

What do you think of this research? Do you believe a degree is still the key to financial success or perhaps you’d advise your children to avoid student debt and get a trade behind them.

Maybe you think that many conventional professional jobs may soon be lost to AI.

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments box below.

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