According to data from the Census Bureau, an overwhelming 70 percent of American workers do not have a college degree. Just 30.4 percent of people over age 25 have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree ─ which is actually up from 26.2 percent ten years ago.
Regardless, an increasing number of jobs that once listed a high school diploma as the minimum education requirement now cite a bachelor’s degree as the lowest acceptable education level. One might ask, is this really necessary? The answer is no.
Top-Tier Employees Don’t Always Need Degrees
There are a whole lot of career paths out there to choose from, making it impossible to have a one-size-fits-all education requirement. Many occupations, such as engineer and nurse, have always required a degree to learn the necessary skills to complete the job. However, training for countless other fields, such as administrative assistant can be done on-the-job.
College teaches a lot of important lessons, but they’re simply not applicable to every job out there. If your top-tier employees don’t have degrees, they’ve already proven they have what it takes to succeed without obtaining this highly coveted piece of paper.
For many positions, having the desire to learn, the motivation to succeed, and the stamina to stay until the job is done right is worth much more than simply having the ability to say you’ve earned a degree.
10 Best Jobs without a College Degree
CareerCast names the following ten jobs as the best choices for professionals without a college degree:
- Administrative/Executive Assistant ─ 12% growth outlook
- Automobile Body Repairer ─ 19% growth outlook
- Bookkeeper ─ 14% growth outlook
- Communications Equipment Mechanic ─ 15% growth outlook
- Electrician ─ 23% growth outlook
- Glazier ─ 42% growth outlook
- Hair Stylist ─ 14% growth outlook
- Industrial Machine Repairer ─ 19% growth outlook
- Paralegal Assistant ─ 18% growth outlook
- Pest Control Worker ─ 26% growth outlook
At ECS, our unique business model permits us to effectively assist recruiters seeking low risk, instant access to the contingent staffing market on a national basis, and clients seeking cost conscious professional payrolling and consultant management services. Contact us today to get started.
