Student loan payments crushing your budget while friends with trade skills buy houses? The job market has flipped the script on who gets rich. In 2023, 5.7 million U.S. workers without bachelor’s degrees earned at least $100,000 annually—that’s 9.1% of the entire non-degree workforce, according to LendingTree research. Your high school guidance counselor never mentioned these paths, but they’re thriving while college grads struggle with debt.
Infrastructure Jobs That Actually Pay What They’re Worth
Critical systems need skilled hands, and unions make sure those hands get paid.
Elevator installers and repairers lead the pack—47.5% earn six figures without degrees. These workers keep skyscrapers functional, and building owners pay premium rates for that peace of mind. Power plant operators follow closely, with over 40% reaching six-figure territory through technical training programs.
Air traffic controllers earn top dollar directing planes through specialized FAA training, not campus coursework. The common thread? These jobs require precision, responsibility, and skills that can’t be outsourced or automated away. Technical and trade jobs like electrical power-line installation, locomotive engineering, and boilermaking also see over 40% of workers earning six figures without degrees.
Tech Finally Admits Coding Beats Credentials
Silicon Valley discovered what startups knew all along—results matter more than diplomas.
Software developers increasingly enter the field through bootcamps and self-study, building portfolios that speak louder than transcripts. Data center technicians maintain the server farms powering everything from Netflix to cryptocurrency, with hands-on experience trumping computer science theory. Computer network architects design secure systems based on demonstrated expertise.
Geographic hotspots like San Francisco, Seattle, and San Jose show the highest concentration of non-degree six-figure earners, often in these exact roles. The tech industry‘s shift toward skills-based hiring has created opportunities that didn’t exist a decade ago.
Specialized Training Creates Specialized Paychecks
Certification programs offer direct routes to professional-level salaries.
Court reporters earn steady six-figure incomes through rigorous stenography training and certification—no four-year college degree required. Radiation therapists administer cancer treatments after completing associate programs, combining healthcare impact with strong earnings.
Perhaps most surprising: nearly 64% of high-earning chief executives don’t hold bachelor’s degrees, reflecting entrepreneurship’s merit-based reality. These paths demonstrate how specialized skills and focused training can outweigh traditional credentials.
The gender gap persists across these fields, with men significantly more likely to reach six figures without degrees. But the trend toward skills-based hiring continues expanding opportunities. “Maybe now more than ever, it’s possible to make six figures without having that college degree,” says Matt Schulz from LendingTree. Your next career move might skip the classroom entirely.
