8 Jobs That Pay $100K Without a Four-Year College Degree

You don’t need to pay $100k in college tuition to land a $100k career. Instead, find out if one of these eight jobs could be in your future.

You might assume that to make a decent living, especially six figures, you need a four-year college degree. And most of the time, that’s actually true. On average, someone with a bachelor’s degree can earn 60% more than someone with a high-school diploma over a 40-year working career.

However, there are many outliers - well-paying jobs you can get without a traditional college degree and still make a decent living.

And keep in mind that we aren’t talking about your start a business and earn a million bucks success stories. That can and does happen, too. But the people who are able to leverage non-college-degreed skills to make that kind of money in their own business are unicorns of a sort. They’re stories we hear about because they’re extraordinary.

But you can actually get real, regular jobs that don’t involve a college degree if you know where to look. So if a four-year degree isn’t your jam, check out this list of eight $100K jobs you can get with a high-school diploma, trade school certification, or other non-four-year degree certification.

How We Compiled the List

In many areas, you’ll have an easier time getting your first job with a degree. Four-year degrees are so common that employers often use them as a first line of elimination for job applicants.

So, getting your foot in the door in certain areas can be difficult. But that may mean years of working for not much money while building a big enough skill set or portfolio to get a high-paying job. So here, we’re focusing on jobs where you can get in the door with a two-year degree or certification and work your way up to a six-figure career relatively quickly.

Keep in mind that many of these careers also have a wide range of potential salaries. We looked at those with a median salary that’s at least near $100,000.

Six-Figure Jobs That Don’t Require a Four-Year College Degree

1. Air Traffic Controller

Median Salary: $99,661

Education Required: Associates degree and long-term on-the-job training

Air traffic controller jobs can be difficult to come by because the turnover is relatively low. This job can be stressful at times, but it’s an exciting way to spend your days. And since you only need an associate’s degree and on-the-job training, you can ramp up your salary quickly without a four-year degree.

2. Real Estate Broker

Median Salary: $79,340

Education Required: High-school diploma and certification

If you don’t mind wild hours and enjoy people, being a real estate broker can be a great way to make a living. The median salary is lower than $100,000, of course. But the top 25% of brokers make just under or well over $100,000 per year.

Resource: Start investing in real estate with Fundrise. No experience is required.

3. Construction Manager

Median Salary: $92,091

Education Required: Bachelor’s degree or less

So here’s the deal with this job: If you want to advance quickly to manager-level work, you may need a four-year degree. However, if you’re interested in working your way up the ranks, you can become a manager with experience and some additional education.

4. Radiation Therapist

Median Salary: $82,583

Education Required: Associates degree

Radiation therapists work to treat cancer and other diseases under the instruction of doctors. They administer radiation treatments, which surprisingly only require a two-year degree. And the great thing is that this field is growing rapidly. While the median salary is just over $80,000, the top 10% earn more than $123,000.

5. Commercial Pilot

Median Salary: $105,314

Education Required: Commercial pilots license

Here’s another career that doesn’t technically require a four-year degree, though many airlines will look for one. Still, if you can get into the industry, this can be a fun way to earn six figures with a certification. Just bear in mind that it’s a demanding job with weird working hours and a lengthy certification process.

6. Funeral Services Manager

Median Salary: $94,958

Education Required: Associates degree

This is an often-underlooked but totally necessary career. And because it’s in generally high demand, but not many people go into the field, it’s an excellent way to make a great living. If you’re compassionate and want to help take care of people but don’t want to go the way of nursing or other helping professions, consider this one.

Funeral Services Manager — (Shutterstock)

7. Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Median Salary: $80,704

Education Required: High-school diploma and police academy training

You do need a bit of education and experience to be a highly-paid police detective. And you’ll likely start out on the front lines by becoming a patrol officer. But you can get into the police academy without a bachelor’s or even an associate’s, so you can work your way towards becoming a criminal investigator without a college degree.

8. Nuclear Power Reactor Operator

Median Salary: $140,236

Education Required: Vocational and on-the-job training

This is a potentially dangerous job, but it’s compensated accordingly. You’ll likely need vocational education and on-the-job training once you’ve passed an aptitude test to get to that level.

Bottom Line

Education is important but it may come with the cost of putting yourself in heavy debt and spending decades paying back student loans. If you’re looking for alternate ways to make a comfortable living, it’s encouraging to know you have options. So, if any of these careers piqued your interest, the next step is to do your research. What are the pros and cons? Are these types of careers available in your area, or are you willing to relocate?

Connecting with someone with experience in that job or field can give you great insight, and most people are always willing to respond to an email or even a tweet. And, if you have experience in any of these jobs, let’s hear about it. Comment below and tell us what you think.