Not all higher paying jobs require a four-year college degree, although all of them do require a high school diploma. Oftentimes an associate degree, job training and experience can get you in the door and on track for a high income job without the massive debt that comes along with most bachelor degrees.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists dozens of jobs that generally require less than a four-year degree and had a median annual income of $50,000, including certain management jobs, repair positions, technicians, fashion designers and commercial divers, to name a few.
“Most high-earning workers who don’t have a bachelor’s degree have an associate degree, a postsecondary non-degree award or a high school diploma as their highest level of education” according to the BLS. Here are the top five high-paying jobs with those backgrounds
1 - Air traffic controller - Median wage is more than $120,000 a year, and requires an associate degree and long-term training.
2 - Nuclear power-reactor operator - Median wage is almost $90,000 a year and requires only a high school diploma.
3 - General and operations managers - Median wage is just over $86,000 a year and requires five or more years of experience.
4 - Law enforcement first-line supervisors - Median annual wage is $82,000 with a high school diploma and under five years experience required.
5 - Elevator technicians - Median income almost $81,000 a year with no experience required, according to the BLS.
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