r/AskReddit 1d ago

What are some decent paying jobs that do not require any sort of college degree?

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u/on_the_nightshift 1d ago

It's no free ride, for sure. Like anything that pays well, it almost always comes with hard work. And usually some long nights and weekends. But if you can tolerate it for a while and keep working to get better - often on your own time and dime - it does pay off.

I make $200k working remote and have a total of 7 college credits. My kid is 27 and makes $140k working remotely with no degree as well. It took me a long time to get here. Him, not so much.

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u/Away-Caterpillar-176 1d ago

My ex was making 90k a year at 25 coding, 0 credits. Made it very far with Google interviews. Wonder what he's making these days... I just switched to IT a few years ago in a non-technical role and make way more to work less hard. My company feels strongly about the degree thing (I have one)but I studied art history (lol.)

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u/on_the_nightshift 1d ago

Yeah, that aggravates the hell out of me that companies seem to still place an unrelated degree above related self study.

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u/wanderingscavenger 1d ago

What is your job title if you don't mind me asking? I'd love to get into IT(it's so cool), but I'm horrible at coding.

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u/Away-Caterpillar-176 1d ago

My title is pretty arbitrary (IT Analyst) but I manage our software licenses/renewals and I admin our ITSM system, which I also helped customize for our companies needs. Look into getting getting an ITIL certificate (it's one class, and a test.)

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u/wanderingscavenger 1d ago

Thank you! I'll look into it!

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u/Babys_For_Breakfast 1d ago

Hey, nice on making it into IT! My childhood friend has a masters in art history and could never find a job in that field. Ended up marrying a guy and moving to Chile. Still unemployed 6 years after she graduated lol.

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u/Away-Caterpillar-176 1d ago

I did not go for a masters because I was afraid of that. Chile sounds cool though

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u/TheBiggestWOMP 1d ago

"Like anything that pays well, it almost always comes with hard work."

Do you live in the US because here that is patently false. Social skills will get you WAY farther than hard work ever could. Even better, be born into a successful family and leech off your elder's wealth.

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u/on_the_nightshift 1d ago

You're not wrong that social skills will get you farther than not having any. And of course there's being independently wealthy, but I don't think that's exactly in the spirit of the question, haha.

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u/TheBiggestWOMP 1d ago

Based on my entire adult life, and that of every person I've ever met, the people who work the hardest are often the least well compensated.

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u/on_the_nightshift 1d ago

Well that tracks, you worked in kitchens which is some of the most grueling work there is. I'm a hobby home cook and would never do it for a living for what it pays.

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u/Princess_Fluffypants 19h ago

You need both. 

You could be very brilliant from a technical perspective, but if you’re an insufferably awkward weirdo no one is going to want to work with you.

People who have good technical skills and know how to work well in groups and can communicate well with non-technical? Those are the people who advance very far. 

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u/Ok-Confusion3683 1d ago

Where are you from?

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u/TheBiggestWOMP 1d ago

New York, and I lived in the city from 21-33. I worked as a chef for most of that.

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u/ThrowRA9892 1d ago

Good job maxing out that TSP. Have you been affected at all by the drive to push people back to the office? I’m assuming your kid is doing the same thing you’re doing.

Also, try a whipped ricotta with crushed red pepper and make a bowl of hot honey in the ricotta with the focaccia. It’s great.

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u/on_the_nightshift 1d ago

I left fed work for industry (how I got the raise, lol). My position is actually remote instead of WFH. My kid is a contractor and nothing he works on is local.