No degree? Good-paying jobs still exist

Electrician ($48,250)

Paralegal assistant ($46,680)

Plumber ($46,660)

Industrial machine repairer ($44,160)

Administrative/executive assistant ($34,660)

Auto body repairer ($34,660)

Glazier ($36,640)

Bookkeeper ($34,040)

Pest control worker ($30,340)

Skin care specialist ($28,920)

Receptionist ($25,240)

Hair stylist ($22,500)

*Median salary

Source: CareerCast

Who says you need a four-year degree to land a decent-paying job? A new report from CareerCast, “Best Jobs Without a College Degree,” says there are good-paying jobs out there for people who never graduated from college.

The list of 14 jobs may come in handy for millions who are thinking about a technical degree or who never got around to extending their education beyond high school. It’s also good news for workers in non-degree but high-demand occupations who want to strike out on their own, such as web developers, electricians, plumbers and bookkeepers.

To be sure, many experts maintain that a four-year degree and higher provide the best opportunity for landing a high-paying job in the hottest careers. Many job seekers are also finding that entry-level jobs that once required only a high school diploma aren’t always an option. CareerBuilder survey found that nearly a third of managers are hiring college graduates to fill jobs historically held by high school graduates.

You can still, however, have a rewarding career without a college degree, says CareerCast, an employment site that regularly does research on job trends. That’s good news with the unemployment rate in metro Atlanta and elsewhere declining.

“As the job market slowly improves, opportunities for high school graduates and those with post-high school training are increasing steadily,” Publisher Tony Lee said in releasing the CareerCast report. “Trade vocations are vital to the United States’ ongoing economic recovery, particularly with renewed emphasis on the manufacturing sector. Some top career paths do not require a college degree, including automobile body repairer and glazier.”