Jobs that Don’t Require a Degree from a Four-Year College
On January 11, 2017, Susannah Snider published “25 Best Jobs that Don’t Require a College Degree” in U.S. News. The jobs she listed were . . .
- Maintenance and Repair Worker
- Veterinary Technician
- Personal Care Aide
- Medical Assistant
- Insurance Sales Agent
- MRI Technologist
- Medical Secretary
- Physical Therapist Aide
- Medical Records Technician
- Wind Turbine Technician
- Home Health Aide
- Computer Support Specialist
- Clinical Laboratory Technician
- Hearing Aid Specialist
- Radiation Therapist
- Optician
- Cardiovascular Technologist
- Occupational Therapy Aide
- Massage Therapist
- Physical Therapy Assistant (apparently this is different from “Physical Care Aide, listed above)
- Respiratory Therapist
- Dental Hygienist
- Web Developer
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
Very Well, But . . .
Individuals who have not yet earned a college degree from a four-year institution can certainly find employment in those jobs. They are all jobs that can offer long-term employment. Plus, people can work them while they are concurrently completing undergraduate programs. In other words, they are good career choices.
Yet we noticed that in the list above, only two jobs (Computer Support Specialist and Web Developer) fall solidly within the STEM professions. Aren’t there a growing number of technical, STEM-based jobs that non-college grads can work on a permanent or interim basis? We believe there are. (See “Entry-Level Cyber Security Jobs for Students,” a post that appeared on this blog on January 29, 2018.)
When we think of STEM-related jobs that individuals can work without completing four years of college, we come up with a list that includes . . .
- 3D Printing Technologists
- CAD Specialists
- Computer Graphic Artists and Designers
- Cyber Security Analysts
- Laboratory Technicians
- Web Developers
Those are only the first six tech careers that come to mind. They all offer good employment possibilities today, like the jobs that Ms. Snider listed in U.S. News. Plus, they are all good options for students to work while, or before completing undergraduate degrees.
If you would like to have a deeper understanding of what is happening in today’s job market, Participate in the National Career and College Pathway Study.
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