There are a lot of reasons why you might be in search of high paying jobs with little schooling.
For instance, maybe you hate your current job, lost your job, or know you aren’t living up to your potential with your current path. Or maybe you have a baby on the way and need to know the fastest career to get into so you can support them or work from home.
If you’ve recently been released from prison or just moved to a new town, you could be hunting for short term courses to get a job as quickly as possible.
No matter what the case is for you, when it comes to finding fast careers that pay well, the tech industry is a great place to start your search. Thanks to the wealth of online learning resources, it’s possible to take short courses that lead to good jobs in tech.
If you’re looking to change careers but can’t afford to spend a year or more retraining, this post will give you some ideas for potential high paying careers with little schooling!
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Why Do Some Tech Jobs Require Little Schooling?
Some of the more advanced or specialized tech jobs require a lot of education or training, but tech also has its fair share of high paying careers with little schooling!
Here are some reasons there are tech jobs that require little schooling: 👇
- Many don’t require any formal qualifications, licenses, certifications, or education
- Entry-level tech roles don’t require a ton of skills upfront
- Demand is high for tech workers; if there is a shortage of skilled workers, employers may be more likely to hire someone with less education and train them on the job
- Some tech jobs are relatively niche, so it’s hard to find people to do the job and you can fill that gap
- Certain jobs with little schooling are relatively easy to learn, or you learn more actually on the job, so you don’t need a ton of education beforehand
- You may be able to transfer some skills or experience from previous roles (e.g., you waited tables for years which has given you strong customer service skills) so you aren’t starting from zero
As long as you’re motivated and committed to learning the skills you need, you can absolutely get into high paying careers with little schooling! Sometimes it’s just a matter of applying to the right place at the right time.
💡 Tip: You could also get a junior-level role (or even internship) in one of the below jobs to break into tech even faster!
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8 High-Paying Jobs With Little Schooling
So, what are some good options for the highest paying jobs with the least amount of schooling? Here are eight ideas for relatively easy career changes that pay well (or at least get your foot in the door for a high-paying career path later on!).
1. Network Administrator
💰 Average salary: $66,803/year
Network admins manage and maintain an organization’s computer network (i.e., groups of computers that share information with each other). They ensure everything is secure and running smoothly, including troubleshooting network connectivity and other issues, setting up LAN (local area network) and WAN (wide area network), and installing and configuring routers, firewalls, and switches.
Why these are good jobs that require little schooling:
- 7th most in demand tech job for 2021
- Network and Computer Systems Administrator jobs are expected to grow by 5% between 2020 and 2030
- You don’t need a college degree. If you want to beef up your resume, you can go for a network admin certification like Network+ or CCNA
- Not everyone wants to do this job, as network admins typically need to be on call in case of an emergency or failure
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: System administration, Microsoft Active Directory, Linux, SQL, Cisco, DNS, VPNs, troubleshooting skills, attention to detail
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Become a Network Administrator Learning Path on LinkedIn Learning
2. Salesforce Administrator
💰 Average salary: $81,709/year
Salesforce admins customize a business’s Salesforce platform to optimize it for their needs. Salesforce is a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Basically, Salesforce admins help businesses optimize and automate sales, marketing, and customer support using Salesforce technology.
Why these are jobs that require little schooling:
- No formal education required. High school dropout Zac Otero, for example, became a Salesforce admin without a formal education. Even the certifications for Salesforce have no prerequisites to take the exam and become certified.
- It’s not purely a technical role, so the barrier to entry is lower for people coming from non-tech backgrounds
- It’s one of the quickest careers to get into. According to this Reddit user, “Getting certified is easy if you put the work in; when I started in my role I went from 0 experience to Admin cert in 3 months but you can probably do it quicker.”
- Not many people know what Salesforce is (it’s not a consumer-facing software) so they don’t pursue a career in it
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Deep knowledge of Salesforce platform, data management, business analysis, APIs
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Complete Salesforce Administrator Certification Course on Udemy
3. Help Desk / Technical Support Representative
💰 Average salary: $15.65/hour
This may not initially be a super high paying career with little schooling, but being a tech support rep gets your foot in the door and helps you learn new skills. Basically, you help troubleshoot and solve end users’ issues with software and hardware.
Through working at a tech company, you may be able to shadow people in other jobs you’re interested in, and it’s a great way to build up experience and connections. It’s one of the fastest careers to get into and can be invaluable for kickstarting a tech career if you’re coming from a completely different background.
Why these are jobs that require little schooling:
- Entry level; no skills required upfront; you can learn on the job
- No formal education required
- Easy to transfer from unrelated jobs. For example, if you have experience working retail or waiting tables, it can give you a leg up when landing this kind of role, as it’s customer support based.
- 10th most in-demand tech job for 2021
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Customer services skills, communication, troubleshooting skills, understanding of how computers work
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Technical Support Fundamentals on Coursera
4. Computer Technician
💰 Average salary: $16.51/hour
Computer technicians, aka “computer support specialists” or “computer repair technicians,” provide hands-on technical support. They install hardware and software, diagnose problems, and work on repairs. They often work in the field, repairing and maintaining computers in schools, colleges, businesses, etc. They may also train employees on how to use computers and/or computer programs.
Why these are jobs with little schooling:
- Entry-level role; does not require much (or any) experience; you can often learn on the job
- No formal education required; many just require a high school degree; many computer technicians get a CompTIA A+ certificate which is much cheaper than a college degree (just over $200)
- In demand role: Computer support specialist jobs are expected to grow by 9% between 2020 and 2030
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Knowledge of computer hardware and software, understanding of computer systems and network functions, teaching skills, basic knowledge of Windows and Chrome OS, basic knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, etc.
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: CompTIA A+ Part 1: Computer Hardware on Pluralsight
5. Front-End Web Developer
💰 Average salary: $100,694/year
Front-end web developers implement web designs using various programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript. They code almost everything a user sees on a website (e.g., page layout, navigation menus).
Why these are high paying jobs with little schooling:
- Relatively easy to learn; front-end development can be a bit easier to understand than back-end development as a lot of it is just markup language, not complicated logic
- Plus you may be able to work with low code/no code platforms, which requires no or very little coding
- No formal degree required; there also aren’t really any popular certifications; your portfolio of projects will often be the best way to get a job in this field.
- It can take as little as a few months to learn enough to be job ready, making it one of the best fun careers with little schooling!
- In demand: Web developer and digital designer jobs are expected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: HTML/CSS, JavaScript, JS frameworks, UX/UI concepts
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Front End Web Developer Nanodegree on Udacity
Front end skills checklist
Download a free checklist that will walk you through all the skills you need to become a front-end developer.
6. Technical Writer
💰 Average salary: $58,042/year
Technical writers turn complex information into simple, friendly, easy-to-understand concepts and guides for non technical end users. For example, they might write software release notes, troubleshooting guides, and technical documentation for an app. If you enjoy writing and technology, technical writing skills can get you into some fun jobs that pay well without a degree.
Why these are jobs that require little schooling:
- Lower barrier to entry than some other tech roles. If you’re great at writing, you can become a technical writer.
- No education required. Take on a few freelance projects to build up a portfolio and that’s all you’ll typically need to get a technical writer job.
- In demand role; technical writer jobs are expected to grow 12% from 2020 to 2030
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Strong writing skills, knowledge of Document Development Life Cycle (DDLC), research skills, knowledge of editorial style guides, Adobe FrameMaker
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Technical Writing: Documentation on Software Projects on Pluralsight
7. Data Analyst
💰 Average salary: $65,065/year
Data analysts turn large volumes of data into meaningful insights that help businesses make more informed decisions. They share their findings with business decision-makers through charts, graphs, etc.
Why these are high paying jobs with little schooling:
- A ton of open roles and not enough candidates to fill them; the anticipated job growth for market research analysts (another term for data analysts) between 2020-2030 is 22%
- All kinds of companies need data analysts, so tons of employers in various industries are hiring; Nearly 10,000 open data analyst roles on Indeed at time of writing
- Easier to get a job in data analysis vs data science, which is more math and academic focused
- Data analysts rely on transferable “soft skills” that you may already have: curiosity, attention to detail, communication, problem solving, etc.
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Excel, Python, SQL
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started:
- 11 Advanced Excel Skills That Will Make You Look Like a Spreadsheet Pro
- Data Analytics Basics for Everyone on edX
8. Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst / Software Tester
💰 Average salary: $18.94/hour
QA analysts develop and execute software testing plans based on functional requirement documents. Basically, they make sure an organization’s software is working properly, investigating problems, stopping problems before they even make it to production, improving quality of software, etc.
Why these are fast careers that pay well:
- High demand: Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Tester jobs are expected to grow 22% from 2020-2030
- Often an entry level role that doesn’t require extensive technical knowledge; easier and quicker to learn than many other tech jobs
- No formal education required; some people take a ISTQB® Certification to prove their QA/testing skills
🤓 Brief list of skills needed: Basic SQL knowledge, software testing skills, automation
💻 Short term courses to get a job/get started: Software Quality Assurance on Udemy
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Start Training for High Paying Careers with Little Schooling
There you have it: eight tech jobs that require little schooling. Keep in mind, however, that there are really no “shortcuts” or “get a tech job quick” schemes. You’ll have to put in some hard work to study and break into these roles, but it is possible to learn in a few months rather than a few years.
Do any of these high paying jobs with little schooling appeal to you? Sign up for one of the courses above to get yourself on the right path!