No university degree? No problem. You can still make a good living without a post-secondary education. Want proof?
Here is a list of ten jobs you can get without a bachelor’s degree that pay over $60,000 a year. Some of them even pay over $100,000.
Take a look:
Transit driver: $31,379 – $66,717
About: Requirements for transit driver jobs vary. Toronto’s TTC, which pays $31.40/hr after 24 months, requires a high school diploma, a non-probationary Ontario driver’s licence (Class “G”) in good standing showing no suspensions. You also must meet all legislated standards governing the issuance of a Class “C” Licence. See driver jobs on Workopolis.
Air traffic controller: $39,266 – $167,096
About: It’s commonly known as one of the highest stress jobs in the world. But if you can hack it, you can make a good living. You will need a high school diploma, a basic radio telephone operator’s licence, completion of a NAV Canada training program, and an air traffic controller’s licence. See air traffic controller jobs on Workopolis
Nuclear reactor operator: $50,785 – $224,488
View attachment 35372
About: You will need a high school diploma for this job.
In addition, “power systems operators require completion of a three- to five-year power system operator apprenticeship program, or over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in electrical and electronic technology…Power station operators require an apprenticeship program in stationary or power engineering, or several years of work experience in the trade and some high school, correspondence or college courses in stationary or power engineering. Power station operators require a provincial or territorial power engineering or stationary engineering certificate according to class. Control room operators at nuclear power plants require licensing from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.” See nuclear energy jobs on Workopolis.
Web developer: $33,757 – $71,439
About: A lot of designers and developers are self-taught, and even though some companies might ask for a degree, the only real requirement is that you be good at what you do. One developer said in a recent CNN article that the programs and the industry change so often that, “If somebody wants to get into this job, it just doesn’t make sense to get a college degree.” See developer jobs on Workopolis.
Executive Chef: $40,176 – $86,004
About: High school may be required to get in the door at certain kitchens, as well as trade certifications. Executive chefs would also be well served with management training, and an ability to handle stress.
See chef jobs on Workopolis.
Realtor: $29,233 – $112,552
About: According to the Economic Research Institute, realtors make an estimated average of $55,000 a year in Toronto, and $52,000 in Vancouver. “That seems low,” says the Globe and Mail, “but it’s because many agents are part-time.” It also doesn’t take into account commercial agents, who may earn six figures selling one office tower a year. To become a realtor, you will need a high school diploma, a real estate training course, and a provincial or territorial licence. See real estate jobs on Workopolis.
Plumber: $34,504 – $83,412
About: A high school diploma is usually required, along with a 4-5 year apprenticeship program. You may also get by with a combination of over five years of work experience combined with some high school and college or industry courses. “Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.” See plumber jobs on Workopolis.
Fire Chief/Police: $48,903 – $147,949
About: Being a fire chief is not for the faint of heart, after all, you’ll be expected to lead men and women into burning buildings. To land a position like this, you will need to complete high school and a provincial or municipal firefighters training course. “A minimum of ten years of experience as a firefighter is usually required before becoming eligible for a senior officer position.” See fire fighting jobs on Workopolis.
Court reporter: $30,709 – $101,559
About: You will need to attend a court reporting program, which takes approximately two years. Court reporters must be able to type at a speed of at least 225 words per minute with near 100% accuracy on a steno machine. There are only two court reporting schools in Canada that have been registered by the National Court Reporters Association: the CCVS, in Toronto, Ontario, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, in Edmonton, Alberta. Find court reporter jobs on Workopolis.
Bartender/ SOMMELIER : $19,359 – $41,817
About: Bartenders don’t necessarily declare their entire income, so it’s impossible to say what they really earn. Suffice to say we’ve all known bartenders who make six figure incomes – and here we have a story about a waitress who did so. Your province may require certification, such as Smart Serve. Other than that, all you need is a winning personality and the ability to pour drinks (some jobs might require to take a course). The better you are, the more you’ll make. You might not want to make a lifetime career out of working nights, though, so this may be a temporary thing.
Turn your passion for wine tasting into a fruitful career. A sommelier might work in a restaurant, helping customers pick out a bottle of wine to complement their meal. Or, he or she might organize the restaurant's wine cellar and help create food and wine pairings.
A college degree is typically not required to become a sommelier. However, by taking an official sommelier course -- like one of the examinations offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers -- you can increase your chances of getting a job. According to Salary.com, the median annual sommelier salary is $53,733 and typically ranges from $41,308 to $66,139.
Waste disposal personnel
You might not think this profession is a high-paying job, but you'd be wrong. The average hourly earnings for waste disposal personnel is $25.30 per hour as of November 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), even though the only requirement for the job is typically a high school diploma.
Here is a list of ten jobs you can get without a bachelor’s degree that pay over $60,000 a year. Some of them even pay over $100,000.
Take a look:
Transit driver: $31,379 – $66,717
About: Requirements for transit driver jobs vary. Toronto’s TTC, which pays $31.40/hr after 24 months, requires a high school diploma, a non-probationary Ontario driver’s licence (Class “G”) in good standing showing no suspensions. You also must meet all legislated standards governing the issuance of a Class “C” Licence. See driver jobs on Workopolis.
Air traffic controller: $39,266 – $167,096
About: It’s commonly known as one of the highest stress jobs in the world. But if you can hack it, you can make a good living. You will need a high school diploma, a basic radio telephone operator’s licence, completion of a NAV Canada training program, and an air traffic controller’s licence. See air traffic controller jobs on Workopolis
Nuclear reactor operator: $50,785 – $224,488
View attachment 35372
About: You will need a high school diploma for this job.
In addition, “power systems operators require completion of a three- to five-year power system operator apprenticeship program, or over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in electrical and electronic technology…Power station operators require an apprenticeship program in stationary or power engineering, or several years of work experience in the trade and some high school, correspondence or college courses in stationary or power engineering. Power station operators require a provincial or territorial power engineering or stationary engineering certificate according to class. Control room operators at nuclear power plants require licensing from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.” See nuclear energy jobs on Workopolis.
Web developer: $33,757 – $71,439
About: A lot of designers and developers are self-taught, and even though some companies might ask for a degree, the only real requirement is that you be good at what you do. One developer said in a recent CNN article that the programs and the industry change so often that, “If somebody wants to get into this job, it just doesn’t make sense to get a college degree.” See developer jobs on Workopolis.
Executive Chef: $40,176 – $86,004
About: High school may be required to get in the door at certain kitchens, as well as trade certifications. Executive chefs would also be well served with management training, and an ability to handle stress.
See chef jobs on Workopolis.
Realtor: $29,233 – $112,552
About: According to the Economic Research Institute, realtors make an estimated average of $55,000 a year in Toronto, and $52,000 in Vancouver. “That seems low,” says the Globe and Mail, “but it’s because many agents are part-time.” It also doesn’t take into account commercial agents, who may earn six figures selling one office tower a year. To become a realtor, you will need a high school diploma, a real estate training course, and a provincial or territorial licence. See real estate jobs on Workopolis.
Plumber: $34,504 – $83,412
About: A high school diploma is usually required, along with a 4-5 year apprenticeship program. You may also get by with a combination of over five years of work experience combined with some high school and college or industry courses. “Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.” See plumber jobs on Workopolis.
Fire Chief/Police: $48,903 – $147,949
About: Being a fire chief is not for the faint of heart, after all, you’ll be expected to lead men and women into burning buildings. To land a position like this, you will need to complete high school and a provincial or municipal firefighters training course. “A minimum of ten years of experience as a firefighter is usually required before becoming eligible for a senior officer position.” See fire fighting jobs on Workopolis.
Court reporter: $30,709 – $101,559
About: You will need to attend a court reporting program, which takes approximately two years. Court reporters must be able to type at a speed of at least 225 words per minute with near 100% accuracy on a steno machine. There are only two court reporting schools in Canada that have been registered by the National Court Reporters Association: the CCVS, in Toronto, Ontario, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, in Edmonton, Alberta. Find court reporter jobs on Workopolis.
Bartender/ SOMMELIER : $19,359 – $41,817
About: Bartenders don’t necessarily declare their entire income, so it’s impossible to say what they really earn. Suffice to say we’ve all known bartenders who make six figure incomes – and here we have a story about a waitress who did so. Your province may require certification, such as Smart Serve. Other than that, all you need is a winning personality and the ability to pour drinks (some jobs might require to take a course). The better you are, the more you’ll make. You might not want to make a lifetime career out of working nights, though, so this may be a temporary thing.
Turn your passion for wine tasting into a fruitful career. A sommelier might work in a restaurant, helping customers pick out a bottle of wine to complement their meal. Or, he or she might organize the restaurant's wine cellar and help create food and wine pairings.
A college degree is typically not required to become a sommelier. However, by taking an official sommelier course -- like one of the examinations offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers -- you can increase your chances of getting a job. According to Salary.com, the median annual sommelier salary is $53,733 and typically ranges from $41,308 to $66,139.
Waste disposal personnel
You might not think this profession is a high-paying job, but you'd be wrong. The average hourly earnings for waste disposal personnel is $25.30 per hour as of November 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), even though the only requirement for the job is typically a high school diploma.
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