By Leada Gore
Advanced education typically leads to higher pay. But, there are some jobs with no formal education requirements that pay well and are in high demand.
Stacker recently 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.
Here are the top 10:
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 of 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
- 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.
Important to keep in mind….Statistics show an education pays off.
