Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- New college graduates are struggling in the worst entry-level job market in years. <\/li>\n
- Here are the no-degree-required roles that pay the most, per a new study from NetCredit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
For some young people in the U.S., higher education<\/a> is losing its luster.<\/p>\nNew college graduates are currently facing the worst entry-level job market since the pandemic, per The Guardian<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s more, the average tuition for both public and private four-year colleges has essentially doubled over the past 30 years when adjusted for inflation, NPR reported last year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nUndergraduate enrollment was 15% lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010, with 42% of the dropoff taking place amid the pandemic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\nHigh school graduates who plan to join the workforce<\/a> right away might wonder which no-degree-required roles pay the most.<\/p>\nOnline lender NetCredit<\/a>\u2019s new study, which examined occupations that don\u2019t require a degree (per the BLS Occupational Handbook) and the average yearly salary for each role, reveals the highest-paying job options in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe top seven no-degree roles boast national average salaries ranging from $102,482 (gambling managers) to $122,824 (nuclear power reactor operators).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Transportation, storage and distribution managers, with an average wage of $116,022, and police sergeants and captains, with an average wage of $110,989, rounded out the top three best-paying occupations that don\u2019t require a college degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read on to see all of NetCredit\u2019s no-degree, six-figure jobs, along with 18 others that offer national average wages starting at about $85,000:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/01_The-Best-Paid-Jobs-That-Dont-Require-a-Degree.png?w=614\")
Image Credit: NetCredit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- New college graduates are struggling in the worst entry-level job market in years. <\/li>\n
- Here are the no-degree-required roles that pay the most, per a new study from NetCredit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
For some young people in the U.S., higher education<\/a> is losing its luster.<\/p>\nNew college graduates are currently facing the worst entry-level job market since the pandemic, per The Guardian<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s more, the average tuition for both public and private four-year colleges has essentially doubled over the past 30 years when adjusted for inflation, NPR reported last year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\nUndergraduate enrollment was 15% lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010, with 42% of the dropoff taking place amid the pandemic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\nHigh school graduates who plan to join the workforce<\/a> right away might wonder which no-degree-required roles pay the most.<\/p>\n
For some young people in the U.S., higher education<\/a> is losing its luster.<\/p>\n New college graduates are currently facing the worst entry-level job market since the pandemic, per The Guardian<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the average tuition for both public and private four-year colleges has essentially doubled over the past 30 years when adjusted for inflation, NPR reported last year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Undergraduate enrollment was 15% lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010, with 42% of the dropoff taking place amid the pandemic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n High school graduates who plan to join the workforce<\/a> right away might wonder which no-degree-required roles pay the most.<\/p>\n Online lender NetCredit<\/a>\u2019s new study, which examined occupations that don\u2019t require a degree (per the BLS Occupational Handbook) and the average yearly salary for each role, reveals the highest-paying job options in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n The top seven no-degree roles boast national average salaries ranging from $102,482 (gambling managers) to $122,824 (nuclear power reactor operators).\u00a0<\/p>\n Transportation, storage and distribution managers, with an average wage of $116,022, and police sergeants and captains, with an average wage of $110,989, rounded out the top three best-paying occupations that don\u2019t require a college degree.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read on to see all of NetCredit\u2019s no-degree, six-figure jobs, along with 18 others that offer national average wages starting at about $85,000:<\/p>\n For some young people in the U.S., higher education<\/a> is losing its luster.<\/p>\n New college graduates are currently facing the worst entry-level job market since the pandemic, per The Guardian<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the average tuition for both public and private four-year colleges has essentially doubled over the past 30 years when adjusted for inflation, NPR reported last year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Undergraduate enrollment was 15% lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010, with 42% of the dropoff taking place amid the pandemic, according to the National Center for Education Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n High school graduates who plan to join the workforce<\/a> right away might wonder which no-degree-required roles pay the most.<\/p>\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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