STACKER — While higher education typically leads to higher pay, there are some jobs that pay well with no formal education requirements.
The trade-offs for low educational barriers to a job are often low wages, few benefits, dangerous or dreary conditions, long hours, grueling work and little room for career advancement. But some well-paying jobs that don’t have educational requirements are stepping stones to better positions. And others are careers unto themselves, offering more than a living wage.
Read on to see how jobs without education requirements pay in the U.S.
#50. Agricultural workers, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $32,550
- 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 11,600
- Expected change by 2031: 600 jobs added
This job category includes agricultural workers other than agricultural inspectors, animal breeders, graders and sorters of agricultural products, agricultural equipment operators, farmworkers and laborers who grow crops, and farmworkers and laborers who raise animals. The top-paying industries for these types of agricultural workers are local government, beverage manufacturing, and the federal executive branch.
#49. Helpers–painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons
- Median annual wage, 2021: $33,370
- 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 9,100
- Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added
These helpers perform duties that require less skill alongside painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons. The highest-paying industries for these types of jobs are automotive repair and maintenance, nonresidential building construction, and contractors doing foundation, structure, and building exterior work.
#48. Parts salespersons
- Median annual wage, 2021: $34,260
- 82.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 270,500
- Expected change by 2031: 9,700 jobs added
Parts salespersons work mostly in the automotive industry, taking orders and checking inventory in either auto dealerships or automotive parts stores. More than a quarter-million of them still earn a living in the field, but the occupation is shrinking due to automation.
#47. Building cleaning workers, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $34,350
- 86.8% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 19,100
- Expected change by 2031: 600 jobs added
This job category includes building cleaning workers other than janitors, maids, and housekeeping cleaners. The top-paying industries for these building cleaners are: elementary and secondary schools, facilities support services, and waste collection.
#46. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $34,430
- 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 1,191,600
- Expected change by 2031: 56,900 jobs added
This line of work, which involves physically taxing labor and extended exposure to the elements, takes place anywhere that natural landscapes are altered for aesthetics. Landscapers and groundskeepers mow lawns and lay sod everywhere from suburban homes to athletic fields, and water, weed, plant, prune, treat, fertilize, and irrigate living landscapes everywhere from government buildings to amusement parks. They also build and maintain non-living features like masonry walls. Long-term job growth is projected at nearly 5%.
#45. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage, 2021: $35,480
- 79.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 21,100
- Expected change by 2031: 500 jobs added
Tobacco and certain consumables, like coffee, fall into a category separate from standard agriculture. This specialty occupation involves using machines to process those goods by roasting, baking, curing, or drying them before they’re ready for consumer purchase.
#44. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
- Median annual wage, 2021: $35,670
- 85.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 16,100
- Expected change by 2031: 3,000 jobs lost
Like so many jobs that involve finishing work in the manufacturing sector, hand grinders and polishers are a dying breed. The field—which involves using hand tools or hand-held power tools to polish, buff, sand, or grind any number of materials and products—is expected to hemorrhage nearly one in five of its current jobs by 2031.
#43. Craft artists
- Median annual wage, 2021: $35,930
- 33.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 10,700
- Expected change by 2031: 500 jobs added
From weaving and painting to knitting and glassblowing, craft artists create original works of art for display, for sale, or both. Most are either self-employed, work for the government, or are employed by the movie and sound recording industries. There’s no specific educational requirement, but it does take talent—and lots of on-the-job learning.
#42. Butchers and meat cutters
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,050
- 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 146,900
- Expected change by 2031: 4,900 jobs lost
Butchers and meat cutters receive and inspect roughly-processed meat, and then refine it into sellable cuts through cutting, slicing, deboning, and grinding. They might do this in bulk at grocery stores or butcher shops, or on a request-by-request basis for individual customers. They also wrap, weigh, sort, and display the meat products they work with.
#41. Material moving workers, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,150
- 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 25,000
- Expected change by 2031: 1,100 jobs added
This job category includes material moving workers other than conveyor operators; crane and tower operators; dredge operators; hoist and winch operators; industrial truck and tractor operators; laborers and material movers like machine feeders, packers, and stockers; pumping station operators; recyclable material collectors; and tank car, truck, and ship loaders. The top-paying industries for these material moving workers are natural gas distribution, remediation and other waste management services, and aerospace product and parts manufacturing.
#39. Agricultural equipment operators (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,360
- 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 66,600
- Expected change by 2031: 8,000 jobs added
From balers and combines to trucks and tractors, agricultural equipment operators use heavy machinery for every application where they’re needed, including sowing, harvesting, irrigating, spraying, cleaning, drying, loading, and conveying. With projected job growth of 12% by 2031, they have the best prospects among all agricultural workers by far.
#39. Helpers–roofers (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,360
- 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 7,000
- Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added
Helpers work alongside roofers to perform duties that require less skill, like using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning the work area and equipment. During the pandemic, with people spending more time at home and having more cash on hand thanks to stimulus payments, home remodeling reached unprecedented levels. Some cities invested their American Rescue Plan Act funds into home repair programs to help residents in need of roof replacements. Demand for roof helpers is expected to grow from 2021 to 2031.
#38. Conveyor operators and tenders
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,420
- 94.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 34,600
- Expected change by 2031: 2,400 jobs added
These workers use conveyor belts—often regulating the conveyor’s speed depending on the application—to shuttle materials to and from things like vehicles, depots, stockpiles, and processing stations. Many work with raw materials for merchant wholesalers and farming operations, but most deal with documents for courier and express delivery services.
#37. Grounds maintenance workers, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,540
- 75.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 16,100
- Expected change by 2031: 700 jobs added
This job category includes grounds maintenance workers other than landscaping and groundskeeping workers, pesticide applicators, and tree trimmers and pruners. The top-paying industries for these grounds maintenance workers are the U.S. Postal Service; electric power generation, transmission, and distribution companies, and business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations.
#35. Helpers–carpenters (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,690
- 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 28,600
- Expected change by 2031: 1,000 jobs lost
Helpers assist carpenters with duties that require less skill, like using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning the work area and equipment. The top-paying industries for carpenter helpers are highway, street, and bridge construction; nonresidential building construction; and utility system construction.
#35. Helpers, construction trades, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $36,690
- 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 28,200
- Expected change by 2031: 1,000 jobs added
This job category includes helpers who perform duties requiring less skill in construction trades other than brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters; carpenters; electricians; painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons; pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters; and roofers. The top-paying industries for these types of construction trades helpers are rental and leasing services, nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying, and management, scientific, and technical consulting services.
#34. Machine feeders and offbearers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $37,010
- 83.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 61,200
- Expected change by 2031: 3,900 jobs added
As the name implies, machine feeders and offbearers feed materials into and/or remove materials from manufacturing equipment. They usually don’t operate the machines themselves—that’s higher-skilled, higher-paid work done by machine operators. Job growth is expected to go up 6% by 2031.
#33. Painting, coating, and decorating workers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $37,330
- 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 13,000
- Expected change by 2031: 400 jobs added
These workers put the finishing touches on things like books, furniture, pottery, glass, and toys. The field is not expected to grow many jobs in the coming decades, but it’s not expected to lose many, either.
#31. Fence erectors (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $37,700
- 91.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 29,900
- Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs lost
As the title implies, fence erectors put up fences, install gates, and service and repair both. Fencing is hard, physical work that takes place outside, but those who do it enjoy a good degree of job security. Job growth is projected to remain relatively flat by 2031.
#31. Rock splitters, quarry (tie)
- Median annual wage, 2021: $37,700
- 86.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 4,500
- Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added
Quarry work is not for everyone. Few jobs are more physically taxing than the hard work of using jackhammers and wedges to cut and haul stone slabs from solid quarry mass while working outside and exposed to the elements.
#30. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $37,770
- 88.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 1,358,400
- Expected change by 2031: 71,900 jobs added
Like helpers, construction laborers are low-skilled workers who do things like clean workspaces, remove debris, and carry tools and equipment. However, they’re more likely to participate directly in projects through tasks like operating tools and even surveying equipment or directing traffic, in the case of roadside construction projects.
#29. Helpers–brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters
Median annual wage, 2021: $37,870
89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
Typical related experience required: None
Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
Number of jobs in 2021: 18,600
Expected change by 2031: 1,500 jobs lost
Helpers in this job category work alongside brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters to perform duties that require less skill. The top-paying industries for these helpers are nonresidential building construction, residential building construction, and foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors. Unlike other jobs related to residential construction that saw a boom in the wake of the pandemic, helpers for brick, stone, and tile work are expected to see fewer job opportunities in the coming years.
#28. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage, 2021: $38,380
- 90.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 767,400
- Expected change by 2031: 54,200 jobs added
With the exception of logging equipment, these workers operate industrial vehicles of almost all kinds. They work mostly in warehouses, but they also move merchandise and materials at construction sites, factories, and storage yards.
#27. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage, 2021: $38,500
- 88.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 138,700
- Expected change by 2031: 7,500 jobs added
Garbage and recyclable collectors do the hard, dirty work of making the rounds on trash and recycling day. They physically empty containers into trucks—which they frequently have to jog to keep up with—on both residential and commercial routes. It usually takes place early in the morning regardless of the weather, and can be dangerous—it involves enormous compactors, hydraulic lifts, and clinging to the sides of moving vehicles.
#26. Roustabouts, oil and gas
- Median annual wage, 2021: $38,920
- 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 37,300
- Expected change by 2031: 8,600 jobs added
Roustabouts do the hard work of assembling and repairing oil field equipment. As America’s energy industry continues to expand, reliable roustabouts are in demand. The field is projected to add new jobs at a very high rate of 23% over 10 years.
#25. Floor sanders and finishers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $39,140
- 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 6,000
- Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added
Floor sanders and finishers are among the last people to touch floor installation projects once they’re done. After carpenters install floors, these workers sand, stain, and seal them. The field is expected to see minimal growth in the coming decade.
#24. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Median annual wage, 2021: $39,880
- 91.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 33,700
- Expected change by 2031: 1,300 jobs added
These workers install insulation materials in gaps between ceiling joists and wall studs to prevent structural thermal transfer. The work often takes place in cramped spaces like attics and crawl spaces and often requires protective equipment.
#23. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage, 2021: $45,590
- 88.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 365,300
- Expected change by 2031: 4,900 jobs added
These kinds of painters apply aesthetic and/or protective stains, paints, and other coatings to structures like bridges, machinery, equipment, and buildings. Painting and wall covering contractors employ the largest percentage of them.
#22. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $45,980
- 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 34,600
- Expected change by 2031: 900 jobs lost
Pipelayers do the exhausting work of grading culverts and trenches, sealing joints, and laying and positioning pipe in environments like underground water mains, sewers, and storm drains. Like so many other entry-level trades jobs, they’re currently in demand. Long-term job growth is projected to decline by 2% by 2031.
#21. Carpet installers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $46,640
- 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 27,200
- Expected change by 2031: 2,500 jobs lost
Separate from floor layers, carpet installers put down padding and trim materials, often after removing old carpeting first. Then they install new carpeting from either blocks or rolls in commercial and residential structures.
#20. Sailors and marine oilers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $46,720
- 75.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 27,600
- Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added
Also called deckhands, sailors maintain and operate virtually every part of a waterborne vessel except the components that deal with the engine and propulsion. That job is left to marine oilers, who work in a ship’s engine room doing things like lubricating gears and taking temperature and pressure readings.
#19. Roofers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,110
- 94.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 158,800
- Expected change by 2031: 2,300 jobs added
Like quarrying and fencing, the physically-demanding job of roofing is not for everyone. The work involves heavy lifting, climbing to sometimes-extreme heights, and long hours of bending and kneeling. Also, the busiest season for roof work is during the hot summer months. The projected job growth is 1% by 2031.
#18. Derrick operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,230
- 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 8,600
- Expected change by 2031: 1,400 jobs added
Arguably the ultimate in dirty work, oil and gas derrick operators operate the pumps that are used to circulate mud through drill holes. Like so many other entry-level energy jobs, the field is expanding dramatically. Job growth is projected at a very high 17% over 10 years.
#17. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,340
- 94.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 187,700
- Expected change by 2031: 6,400 jobs lost
Cement masons pour, mix, level, and reinforce concrete on surfaces like steps and sidewalks. Concrete finishers put on the final touches, like coloring, texturing, painting, or adding exposed stones. However, there is projected to be fewer job opportunities in the coming years.
#16. Paperhangers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,610
- 88.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 4,100
- Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added
Most paperhangers work in one of two environments. Some put up decorative wallpaper in homes, offices, and other occupied structures. Others do commercial work installing posters or billboards.
#15. Farm labor contractors
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,770
- 27.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: Less than 5 years
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 1,200
- Expected change by 2031: 300 jobs added
These recruiters vet, organize, hire, and sometimes feed, house, and transport temporary and seasonal workers for agricultural labor. It pays well and the job growth for the position is projected to hit 22% by 2031.
#14. Tile and stone setters
- Median annual wage, 2021: $47,810
- 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 56,700
- Expected change by 2031: 5,100 jobs added
Tile and stone setters apply tile and stone to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks. The number of jobs in this category is expected to grow 9% from 2021 to 2031, and the top-paying industries are foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; local government; and nonresidential building construction.
#13. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $48,040
- 96.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 111,600
- Expected change by 2031: 4,100 jobs added
Drywallers cut wallboard to specific measurements and secure the segments in place. Ceiling tile installers create suspended ceilings by hanging tiles directly to ceilings, furring strips, or suspension runners connected to wires.
#12. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Median annual wage, 2021: $48,060
- 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 25,200
- Expected change by 2031: 2,400 jobs added
Building finishing contractors employ the largest percentage by far of people who do this kind of work. They install materials to flooring that deaden sound, absorb shock, or simply look nice.
#11. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Median annual wage, 2021: $48,340
- 93.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 31,400
- Expected change by 2031: 1,300 jobs added
These employees work on both commercial and residential structures, and they also do both interior and exterior work. Not only do they install stucco, cement, and plaster, but also sometimes ornamental plaster.
#10. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage, 2021: $48,410
- 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 35,700
- Expected change by 2031: 6,300 jobs added
Oil and gas service unit operators operate equipment that increases oil flow from wells or removes obstructions from drilling wells. Strong growth is projected for this line of work, with the number of jobs expected to increase by 17.5% from 2021 to 2031.
#9. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Median annual wage, 2021: $49,390
- 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 13,500
- Expected change by 2031: 300 jobs lost
Most of what these laborers do is the work of moving materials like grain, sand, gravel, chemicals, and coal onto and off ships, trucks, and tank cars. Other times, they might do miscellaneous industry-related work, like testing containers for leaks.
#8. Hoist and winch operators
- Median annual wage, 2021: $52,300
- 94.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 3,200
- Expected change by 2031: No change
The largest percentage of hoist and winch operators by far support the water transportation industry. They’re not crane and tower operators, but they do use massive power cable equipment to lift heavy loads.
#7. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage, 2021: $56,380
- 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 12,100
- Expected change by 2031: 2,100 jobs added
Rotary drill operators use different drills to extract gas and oil from underground. They also sometimes extract core samples during exploration for testing. Like many of their lower-level energy-industry colleagues, they’re riding an occupational wave. They earn significantly more than the average American, and 10-year job growth is projected at an excellent 18%.
#6. Loading and moving machine operators, underground mining
- Median annual wage, 2021: $57,900
- 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 4,500
- Expected change by 2031: 800 jobs lost
These loading and moving machine operators run underground mining machines that transport coal, ore, or rock. Jobs are expected to decline from 2021 to 2031. Coal mining is a significant source of employment for these jobs, and coal production in the U.S. has been trending downward over the past 15 years as companies shift to natural gas and renewable energy.
#5. Continuous mining machine operators
- Median annual wage, 2021: $60,300
- 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 14,900
- Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added
These miners operate the equipment that physically tears material like ore, coal, metal, stone, and rock directly from the mine face right where the work is advancing. The self-propelled machines they operate then load those materials onto shuttle cars or conveyors without stopping excavation work.
#4. Tapers
- Median annual wage, 2021: $61,080
- 96.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 16,800
- Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs lost
Tapers prepare drywall before it’s painted, plastered, or papered—they’re sometimes called finishers. They make the best money by far in the drywall and ceiling tile installation segment of the construction industry, but their 10-year job growth projections are for minimal job losses.
#3. Underground mining machine operators, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $61,260
- 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 3,200
- Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs lost
This job category includes underground mining machine operators other than continuous mining machine operators, mining roof bolters, and loading and moving machine operators. Like other mining jobs, the decline of U.S. coal production affects the job outlook, and the number of jobs is expected to drop by 5.2% between 2021 and 2031.
#2. Artists and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage, 2021: $61,580
- 33.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
- Number of jobs in 2021: 14,500
- Expected change by 2031: 700 jobs added
Despite the “starving artist” trope, it is possible to make a good living as an artist. Successful artists need a combination of talent and training plus the ability to connect with an audience that values their work. This job category includes artists other than art directors; craft artists; fine artists like painters, sculptors, and illustrators; and special effects artists and animators.
#1. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage, 2021: $77,300
- 36.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
- Typical related experience required: None
- Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term
- Number of jobs in 2021: 15,800
- Expected change by 2031: 5,700 jobs added
There are some jobs with low education barriers that people can just apply for—others, not so much. One of them is professional athletics, which doesn’t necessarily require a diploma but does require years of dedication and extraordinary physical gifts. And the vast majority of those who come to the table with both never find a way to make it pay.
METHODOLOGY
Stacker used 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics data to compile a list of 100 jobs without formal education requirements, ranked by median annual income. Jobs without annual wages available were not considered. Other experience and training requirements, as well as employment levels and projections, were included in the analysis but do not affect the rankings.
