Good Paying Jobs without College Education

My wife and I are the parents of two young children, four and five. Even though it's a long way off we've recently been thinking a lot about their future education and job prospects. It seems that the idea that a four year college degree has been absolutely driven through the minds of everyone as being necessary to success. As a college graduate myself I find this to be total horsechit. The amount of debt college students are saddled with as the leave college in their early 20's is astonishing. This is the very last thing that we want for our kids.


So my wife and I have started looking into career paths for our kids that they may possibly interested in that do not require an expensive college education but provide a decent salary.

One that I have read a little about that seems to have very good earning potential for those with skill is welding. From what I've read highly skilled welders who are willing to travel can make as much as a doctor or lawyer sometimes and they don't have to take out massive student loans to learn their craft.

Another field I learned about is radiology/mri techs. Many local community colleges offer 2 year's associates degrees and these positions often pay close to six figures with experience.

Anyone else have any thoughts on good paying jobs that don't require a four year degree?

 

Learn a trade......just about any trade. You'll always be able to find work, generally with a good salary. There is and always will be a need for skilled tradesmen/women. The alternative is to have the expensive "college/university" degree and be able to get the "entry" level job and live in mom & dad's basement playing pokemon and dodging the scary clowns................

 

A lot of it is who you know. I have a buddy that was a mechanic at a regional airport, he made good money. Then he got in at G.E. assembling jet engines. Now he works in their maintenance department doing random jobs like painting stripes in the parking lot and he's making well into 6 figures at 35 years old. I tried to get my brother in as an electrician at one of the plants at my company. Some of those guys are making six figures as well but my brother wouldn't look into it when he discovered it was a union plant.

On the flip side, I do think you can get a college education at a reasonable price if you try. Go to a local community college, then transfer to an in-state university. I went to college from 2001-2005 and my total cost was $15k (I did manage a full scholarship my senior year, worth about $5k). I worked as I went and graduated with an engineering degree and only $5,000 in loans. My friends used to laugh at me for living with my parents and going to no-name colleges instead of living out of state at big name colleges. Now they all tell me they wish they had done the same as me as they're still paying off loans.

EDIT:
I just checked tuition at the schools I went to, both are $8,000 a year now. So it's gone up more than the cost of inflation, but still MUCH cheaper than the other universities in the area.

 

Up here the option of on-line college courses with the same credit as full-time college is becoming popular. Taking one or two years worth of courses while still working lessens the debit load at the end. You have to be more disciplined and structured but it can be done.

 

Becoming a specialist in a technology platform is a good way to go. Project and implementation experience trumps a degree. I've been doing Salesforce.com full time since 2008 and my college degree is in sculpture, so go figure. Now I own my own Salesforce implementation company and have done over 650 projects there. Independent contractors worth their salt can earn more than $100/hour with a few years of experience.

 

I should also add that Trades are a very necessary part of our economy. Society as a whole has forgotten that in the push to produce university and college graduates. Now the emphasis in the high schools is starting to recognize Trades as a large part of the whole picture.

 

I'll add, and hopefully you realize this, but it's completely up to your kids what they want to do. Welding is a fine job if they're into it, but a terrible one if they're not. And "success" is more than money. I've got a buddy that's wanted to be a school janitor since he was in high school. His parents hated the idea, but that's what he does now and he loves it. He doesn't make much money, but he's happy and has pretty darn good benefits.

College is still the only way to go if someone wants to be an engineer or doctor or lawyer or teacher or several other specialized fields. Engineering has worked out well for me. My wife will be paying off her Master's degree in Criminal Justice until we're in our mid 40's, but she also makes a lot more than she would without a degree, more than enough to offset the monthly payments on the loan so it's ok for her as well.

If you could push them to do or not do anything, I'd say it's to NEVER get a degree in an "art". I've got a friend that went to college for piano. I've got a friend who went to college for ceramics sculpture. I've got a couple friends that went for photography. I know someone who went for journalism. Those are the people who worked in retail for 5-10 years after graduating before they either worked their way up or eventually found other jobs that pay a middle class wage. And while they do pretty well now, they all have jobs that only require a high school diploma yet they still are paying for student loans.

 

I agree with watching the cost of college and that there are great trade jobs out there. Our daughter always loved school and got great grades. In her senior year she fell in love with an expensive private college which at that time cost $50k a year for tuition and room/board. I didn't know what we were going to do because we only had about $30k in her college savings account. Long story short because of her grades and or our income (I'm not sure what they looked at) she got free tuition for 4 years and a lot of other scolorships. So instead of paying $210k we payed $45k. So don't let the high cost of college scare you. It can be done.
I also like the community college route also, as long as you plan ahead and know the credits will transfer.

 

I realize that it's up to them. it's just something my wife and I have been thinking about and welding is just one thing that I've heard about that most people never really talk about so that's why I mentioned it. I know there are a lot of trades to look into.

As far as college goes, I think I would only support my kids going to a four year college if they were going to major in engineering or hard sciences (chemistry, biology, physics medicine). Pretty much everything else seems like a waste of time. Even the business stuff. So many people brag about their MBAs but you don't really need the degree to be successful in business most of the time unless it's required as a corporate calling card.

Most colleges are running on average 25-30k a year now with room and board factored in. By the time my kids will be college age it will be so much more unless the education loan bubble pops in a dramatic way and we wise up and change the way we do higher ed (doubtful.) And even if my kids were to major in one of the subjects I mentioned I would still only support it if they could significantly minimize their debt. No sense in them having a noose around their necks at 22-23.

We're currently dealing with the K-12 public system and all of the things wrong with that but that's a discussion for another thread another day. The thing I want to my kids to understand growing up are money debt and priorities, the stuff the public school would never think of discussing with them when they're filling their heads with all kinds of useless nonsense.

 

I wouldn't worry so much as long as you instill a good work ethic and morality into your kids.

Its definitely harder than it has ever been out there though. More competition less jobs high inflation etc etc.

I know people in the radiology feild they definitely don't make anywhere near 100k more like a third of that, slightly more than half of that working overnights with a lifetime of experience. In an area with a 55k+ median income that kinda sucks.

And this is personal but around here you need atleast 100k to be somewhat comfortable. Unmarried no kids. Every area is different.

The rest is also personal experience and my own opinion......

I also went to welding school and it was almost one of the biggest mistakes ever. I already had a two year degree when I did it(school sucks lol). Graduated top of my class blah blah blah most couldn't read blue prints much less a tape measure. Some were really intelligent that had no ambition or had ambition and school had failed them.

Ruining your body eyes back neck, inhaling cancerous fumes all day is not something I would want for my kids.

There are welders then there are good welders. Good welders willing to travel can make decent cash, they can make decent cash if they work 70 hours a week too but then again mostly anybody can. Doing 70 a week is bringing home incentives.
They can make decent cash if they are in the right place at the right time.

One thing I learned is the trades is full of drugs and felons. For every good hardworking guy there was 2 icky people.
Makes it easy to rise through ranks, makes it easy to get into or noticed at corporation's like GE knolls atomic or even the rail road.

What I learned is climbing the corporate or company ladder is a no go without a 4 year degree. Some fields its a master's or doctorate.
You can work up the ladder but only so far without a four year degree.

I wanted to be home with loved ones doing things that I love.
I could go make 100+k right now welding but I wouldn't be home.
Stepping into a useful degree and applying for jobs as an intern(doing nothing) I was offered more money than most welders make. I was shocked.

Education is a good thing. College isn't what it used to be though. Its more indoctrination with a peice of paper for alot of degrees.

I always had ambition but didn't know how to get where I wanted to be. You just have to keep chugging along, nothing is a for sure deal.

I owe alot to my Mrs, she is an engineer. She rose through the ranks quickly working 7-3 with the best benefits possible always made me want the same.
Having her name involved with some of the most expensive largest most traveled bridges in the world has a sense of achievement as well!(she never brags so I do!)
Going to a noticeable school I would say helps. It helps with networking, or landing a job because the boss went where you did and the other aplicant went to a rival school!

Car salesman make decent money! There is a shoe or as I like to say it a seat for every a$$.
Working hard and loving what you do is rare. Working hard to get by is common.

My definition of success is being happy with what you do, having a sense of achievement regardless of what you do or how much you make. One of the best feelings is laying down at night being exhausted from a physical day of work (firewood hoarding!)

 

An undergrad business degree and an MBA are 2 different critters. I have a business degree but don't have or ever plan on getting and MBA. An undergrad is pretty much mandatory for any management position outside of retail. Are they useful....maybe....do they take 10 years off getting into the same job without a degree.... absolutely.

It's hard to go wrong with a degree in a STEM field.

College doesn't have to be expensive. If you are spending 40k a year you are doing it wrong. My degree cost about 30k...I paid very little for it through grants, scholarships, and government assistance based on my parent's income.

I second learning a trade. Welders, machinists, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, etc can all make good money. There are plenty of non-trigger-pulling jobs in the military that pay well too.

 

We don't have kids yet and what you mention I was just talking about last night. Its terrifying. J was lucky enough(hindsight) my parents sent me to private Catholic school. Real life learning!

 

My parents never encouraged me to go to college. I wanted to go, so it was all up to me to get there and pay for it. I was lucky and used the GI bill from my military service. I had two kids at the time. I worked 40 hrs a week and went to school full time. Nearly killed me doing it, but I graduated dean's list. My job paid well, and now I have a decent retirement. My two brothers didn't go to college. One struggles every day to make ends meet. The other one works hard, but has no retirement saved. College or trade school. The point is to make a good decisions early on that the career path is one that is not just for today, but also tomorrow. It seems certain that retirement will come later and later for these kids coming along now. My parents didn't help me and it slowed me down, but didn't stop me.

 

Have them work to get a job for a county state or federal government. It's all about the pension and no accountability.

 

It seems to me like there is a perfect storm of societal influences that have made things for the current generation of millenials and youngerkids much more difficult than it was for past generations. The loss of manufacturing jobs in this country, the exponential increase in the cost of goods and services (education, food, healthcare, energy) has far outpaced the growth of salaries, the prevailing sentiment and expectation that every kid must go to a 4 year college or be doomed to failure, the ever increasing sense of materialism and drive to define one's success and worth based on monetary and material accumulation etc etc

There's no doubt that the millenial generation and the one right behind them has been coddled and infantilized to the point of sheer absurdity but at the same time the first taste of real life for most of them is will be nothing but a giant you know what sandwich and it can't be entirely laid at their feet; it wasn't them that ran up the 20 trillion debt and signed off on NAFTA. I believe it's now commonly accepted that they will be the first generation of Americans to have less opportunity and happiness than their parents. Is that to be the baby boomer's legacy? Me? I'm a young genxer (77) slowly starting to see the writing on the wall and it aint pretty.

 

Funny you should say that.

I've actually been employed in a municipal job for the last year and a half. First time in my life working public sector. The money's not great but I know exactly what you're talking about when you say pension and no accountability....no stress at all for that matter. I'm torn between liking it due to the lack of stress, strict 40 hour work week and oodles of time off and feeling guilty because I'm living off the public dime. But I'm a tech weenie so it's not as if I'm making policy that harms the public in some way. I just maintain the data network for the folks that do that.

 

Don't let them pay the "most colleges" costs!! Unless they are planning on going to Harvard or Stanford a school's name doesn't mean anything in the real world. Urge them to go to the cheapest school that offers a degree they want that's within commuting distance of your home. My parent's couldn't afford to give me anything for college (I'm the oldest of 5) except offering a room in the house and hot meals for 4 years.

 

I think that's all about how your local government is. I know 2 people that worked for our county and one for the township. All had great benefits and decent pay. All also left after 5-10 years because of politics and working with inept people and now swear they would never go back after being in the private sector. They claim their stress levels are much lower.

 

I agree with "college doesn't have to be expensive" - I did 3 years of community college (switched majors 4 times...), worked hard and got a merit scholarship that paid for 50% of my tuition at St. Rose in Albany. Did one year of full time, 2 years of part time, worked through it all and graduated with 10K in loans. I think one mistake a lot of parents and kids make is not treating school selection like a business decision and getting emotionally hung up on a certain school or when they go to it vs. getting some cheap foundation and exploration out of the way (who cares if they change majors 4 times at $2K/year), and then get into a 4 year school. And there's big discounts if you apply to start in the spring semester and tons of other ways to save money. I got credit from RPI (30K/year) through community college because they articulate staff and credits. Lots of deals if you dig.

 

My kids are the same age group as you. Two went to college, two did not. The ones that went to college make twice what the other two do, and they are better positioned to retire. My grandkids are now make choices. I have 8 of them. Two are in college, another one is working a trade, the rest are still in school. I won't toss any of them into a generation of this and that. Most has to do with the way their parents interact with them. I worked extra hours and also maintained a part time job. My kids work extra hours and work on the side every chance they get. the college kids work all their non school days. I don't see how that has change with time. What did change is the parent involvement with instilling the value of learning and being prepared. My parents, not so much, but my kids and their kids, a lot.