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These are the best paid jobs that don’t require a degree
For teenagers who haven’t made the grade, there are still high-paying roles which can give them an above-average income, according to research from a job site.
Not all the best paying jobs require a university education so if your teen has missed out on their expected A-Level grades, all is not lost.
Analysis of thousands of job adverts by Indeed has revealed the top five jobs with good career prospects open to school leavers:
- Personal assistant: £27,441
- Trainee engineer: £23,269
- Media production assistant: £19,160
- Assistant chef: £16,953
- Junior office manager: £15,314.
Its research also dispels the myth that not having a degree bars someone from a high-paying job. In fact, Indeed has found five non-graduate roles which each pay more than the UK average wage of £28,000:
- Construction manager: £53,094
- Maintenance manager: £38,625
- Fitness manager: £34,912
- Executive assistant: £33,260
- Pilot: £31,477.
Indeed said that such attractive salaries will give pause for thought to teenagers pondering whether to press ahead with a degree course. This is because the average student now racks up debts of £55,000 during a typical three-year university course, making a degree an expensive investment – especially for those who miss their predicted A-Level grades and who are forced to go through clearing.
‘Graduate premium steadily being eroded’
Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: ‘’While many teenagers will be celebrating this morning, our findings will make reassuring reading for those disappointed by their grades. For students who miss their expected A-Level grades, clearing can still offer a route into university.
‘’It’s still widely assumed that a worker will earn more in their lifetime if they have a degree, but this ‘graduate premium’ is steadily being eroded. Some non-graduate career paths can lead to roles that don’t just pay well, but pay well over the national average salary.”
Richards added that alternatively there are apprenticeships, which are now available in a wide range of white-collar professions.
“Increasingly seen as a genuine alternative to a degree, apprenticeships are attracting thousands of ambitious school-leavers keen to combine their studies with a salary rather than debt.”
