15 High-Paying Jobs — No Degree Necessary

Just because you don’t have a college degree doesn’t mean you can’t earn a higher-than-average salary. While many current job openings request that applicants have a college education, there are some professions where skills and life experience alone can get you in the door. That’s good news for older adults, because people age 50 and older are less likely to have bachelor’s degrees than younger adults.

Resume Genius, a company that specializes in preparing people for job searches, analyzed U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to identify promising jobs based on three criteria. First, the profession typically does not require a college degree. Next, the national average salary for the position had to exceed the national average income, which was $59,384 per year in 2023 according to the most recent BLS data. And, third, the profession had to have projected job growth or stability through 2033.

AARP additionally sorted through the Resume Genius list to remove careers that, although they do not require a degree, still require extensive training or experience, such as commercial airline pilot and information security analyst.

The following 15 jobs, listed in order from highest to lowest annual salary, are high-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree. Clicking on the “Find jobs” link will take to you to a list of current postings in that field on the AARP Job Board (not every profession will have one of these links).

1. First-line supervisor of police and detectives

Average wage: $48.92 per hour ($101,750 per year)

Median age: 47.6

Find police jobs

Not only is this the highest paying job on the list, but it’s also the profession that has one of the oldest median ages, too. That’s probably no surprise. Law enforcement is a career in which experience is important to do the job well, especially in a supervisor role. Once you become a police officer, it can take approximately four to seven years to become a supervisor.

2. Transportation, storage and distribution manager

Average wage: $47.69 per hour ($99,200 per year)

Median age: 45.6 years

Find distribution jobs

Distribution managers are the unsung heroes that help large businesses get their products from the factory floor into your home. They keep track of how many products a company has that are ready to ship, which warehouse they are stored in, and how and when they will be shipping to stores, among other duties. To fill this role, you’ll need to be detail-oriented and comfortable with software that keeps track of supplies and invoices.

3. Radiation therapist

Average wage: $47.26 per hour ($98,300 per year)

Median age: (Not available)

Find radiation therapist jobs

When patients need various types of radiation treatment for cancer and other illnesses, radiation therapists — working hand-in-hand with doctors — are the ones who administer the doses. While many of these workers do have at least an associate’s degree in a health care field, you can qualify for some positions if you have completed a certificate program.

4. Web developer

Average wage: $44.59 per hour ($92,750 per year)

Median age: 40.1 years

Find web developer jobs

Web development is a field where the necessary skills change frequently, which can make it an appealing option for a career switch. If you can quickly get up to speed on the most current technologies, you won’t necessarily need years of work experience in the profession — or a computer science degree. You can try free courses in web development from sites such as Coursera, Khan Academy or Codecademy, which has more than a million users who are age 55 and older. This profession also frequently offers remote work and flexible hours.