For many of today’s trending roles, knowledge and skills are far more important than formal education. More industries are looking to expand their talent pools to a more diverse range of applicants and offer on the job training. That’s good news if you don’t enjoy studying or don’t want to shell out thousands of pounds on further education.
But which jobs that don’t require a degree are likely to pay the most? We compared the average salaries of hundreds of job titles in our database of over 1 million ads to find out just that.
As you will see from our findings, a university degree isn’t the only ticket to a top paying career. Our list includes twelve roles with average advertised salaries topping £50,000 and our top earning pick pays £90,000. By comparison, the average advertised UK salary is just £37,353 as of February 2023. With the cost of attending university in the UK now nearing a whopping £61,000, these jobs are attractive alternatives.
You’ll notice there are no chicken sexers or water slide testers on the list – these are jobs that you actually have a realistic chance of getting with hundreds or even thousands of vacancies around the country right now.
Interested in landing a high paid job that doesn’t require a university degree? Read on to find out how.
Casino Gaming Manager
Average salary: £90,000
A casino manager or gaming manager oversees the staff working within a casino, as well as being responsible for ensuring visitors are having an enjoyable and safe gambling experience. Great communication and people skills are a must. Successful casino managers are handsomely rewarded with average advertised salaries for the role sitting at £90,000. Many casino managers cut their teeth on the casino floor, before working their way up the ranks. A Personal Management Licence (PML) is normally required for these roles.
See more leisure jobs.
Scrum Master
Average salary: £62,834
Though it may sound like a role for rugby pros, the role of scrum master actually involves motivating and mentoring a scrum team, i.e. a tech team using a ‘Scrum’ project management framework. Advertised jobs are paying £62,834 on average and at the time of writing there just over a thousand (1,037) positions up for grabs. Communication, organisation and interpersonal skills are fundamental for success in this job. The majority of scrum master positions advertised on Adzuna require these skills, as well as Scrum know-how, over formal education and qualifications showing further education is not always required to qualify for a lucrative career. You can find some great resources for learning about the Scrum system over at Atlassian.
See more IT jobs.
Commercial Pilot
Average salary: £62,554
If you’ve got a head for heights and a desire to see the world, perhaps you should consider a role as a commercial pilot. Advertised vacancies for qualified pilots pay an average of £62,554 as of March 2023, though it’s worth noting that flight school is a big expense so there is a major upfront cost associated with this career path. To give this some context, training can cost between £70,000 and £120,000! Many pilots will have a university degree in aviation or air travel but it’s not the only route into the profession with many major airlines offering training courses to school leavers as well as graduates. The Aviation Industry Skills Board has also developed a commercial pilot apprenticeship to help make the career more accessible. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) is a great resource for finding out more.
Take a look at our travel jobs.
Ethical Hacker
Average salary: £61,497
With cyber crime rising, cyber jobs are big business. Ethical hacker features fourth at £61,497 in March 2023, with over 3,000 jobs available. Also known as ‘white hat hackers’ or ‘penetration testers’, this role involves an employee probing for security vulnerabilities that a criminal may wish to exploit. A company can then improve its cyber security framework.
See more cyber security jobs.
Air Traffic Controller
Average salary: £59,452
Another role favouring natural aptitude over academic background is that of air traffic controller. There are three types: area controllers who are based at regional control centres and who guide aircraft while they are flying at high altitude, approach controllers who help guide planes as they come into land, and aerodrome controllers who provide clearance for take-off and landing and runway taxiing instructions and are based in control towers. The job requires long periods of intense concentration, exceptional attention to detail and the ability to think on your feet. You’ll also need to be able to handle working under pressure, with the safety of planes and their passengers in your hands. In return, salaries are substantial with senior air traffic controllers at larger airports sometimes earning upwards of £100k!
To qualify as an air traffic controller, you can study an apprenticeship or a trainee scheme, or you can enter through a career in the Armed Forces. National Air Traffic Services is a good resource for finding out more information.
Take a look at our travel jobs.
Software Developer
Average salary: £58,188
Software developers remain highly sought after, with over 20,000 job postings being advertised at the time of writing. Though some software developers will have studied a university degree in a subject like maths, computer science, or software engineering, this isn’t the only route into the role. In fact, in fast evolving industries, academic courses can quickly become obsolete, so hands-on experience is viewed as much more valuable. You could also become a software developer via an apprenticeship, training scheme, or college diploma, and it’s worth looking into employers offering training on the job.
Successful software developers require analytical, problem solving skills, as well as knowing their way around programming. A solid understanding of the maths behind programming is essential.
Search our full list of developer roles.
Train Driver
Average salary: £58,038
Train drivers keep transport running across the UK’s numerous rail networks, London Underground, and the Eurostar, transporting commuters, holiday makers, and freight from place to place. You don’t need previous experience on the railway to apply for a trainee driver post, but you could start with a role as rail passenger assistant or train conductor. Driver training lasts between 12 and 24 months and you will typically need GCSEs in English and Maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent qualifications. Jobseekers must also be at least 20 years old to apply and must pass a background check. Success requires strong observation and concentration skills, the ability to keep passengers and staff safe, and an aptitude for operating the control equipment. In return, experienced train drivers typically earn up to £65,000 per year. You can find out more about entering the career here.
Take a look at more transport jobs.
Construction Manager
Average salary: £54,328
Construction manager comes in eighth position with advertised salaries averaging £54,328 in March 2023. Despite a slowdown in the trade & construction sector over the last few months, there are still over 11,000 open positions available for construction managers. The role involves taking charge of building projects and ensuring they run to time and budget. Construction managers also oversee safety measures on site, looking out for the welfare of the wider building team. Some enter the job role through an apprenticeship. Others work their way up to the role after gaining experience as a construction site supervisor. You can find out more at The Chartered Institute of Building.
Search our trade & construction jobs.
Oil Rig Operative
Average salary: £53,000
Offshore oil rigs offer some lucrative job options, but they’re not for the faint hearted! As well as spending considerable stints away from home, you may face working in cramped conditions, during stormy weather, or at height. It can be a physically demanding job. You could work within the drilling team, or as a derrickhand maintaining the ‘derrick’ – the framework or structure supporting the drilling apparatus. To secure one of these roles, you’ll need to be over 18, have an offshore medical certificate, and have completed basic training in offshore safety and emergency training. Learn more at OPITO.
See more energy, oil & gas jobs.
Security Manager
Average salary: £52,647
Security managers protect buildings, sites, and the people working within them from harm or damage. It’s a varied and rewarding career that often involves a lot of responsibility, from managing a team, to carrying out risk assessments and responding to incidents. Attention to detail, good leadership, and the ability to remain calm under pressure are all critical skills for success in this area.
See more security openings.
Games Developer
Average salary: £51,084
If you’re creative, tech-savvy and love gaming then this could be your dream job. Day-to-day tasks for games developers may include story boarding new games and producing visuals, working with designers and artists, coding games, working in audio effects, and testing the games themselves. This is an extremely varied role. You don’t need a degree, just technical know-how, and there are numerous apprenticeships available for getting into games development. If you know your ‘The Last of Us’ from your ‘Hogwarts Legacy’, learn more about careers in gaming over at Into Games.
Search our IT jobs.
Project Manager
Average salary: £50,077
This job does what it says on the tin. Project managers keep projects working to time and budget, planning what work needs to be done, when it should be completed, and by whom. It’s another role with tens of thousands of openings available. The Association for Project Management is a great resource for finding out more.
Search our IT jobs.
Buying Manager
Average salary: £46,450
Many buying managers start their career as assistants or administrators in a buying department and work their way up to a manager role. Commercial acumen is essential, with strong maths skills and negotiating prowess key ingredients for success. It’s also possible to get into a buying manager role via an advanced ‘procurement and supply assistant’ apprenticeship. Though you don’t need a degree, you’ll need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship.
See more retail jobs.
Other top paying roles to consider
As the job market evolves, new positions are emerging providing more lucrative opportunities for non-graduates. One example is the role of ‘prompt engineer’, a person tasked with using AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline business processes. The ability to learn, innovate, and adopt new technology fast are the critical components to this role, rather than formal training.
Combined, the top 25 roles are offering more than 350,000 openings for workers without a degree – so there are plenty of options to choose from!
The top 25 highest paying jobs not requiring a degree
| Job role | Average Advertised Salary, March '23 |
|---|---|
| Casino Gaming Manager | £90,000 |
| Scrum Master | £62,834 |
| Commercial Pilot | £62,554 |
| Ethical Hacker | £61,497 |
| Air Traffic Controller | £59,452 |
| Software Developer | £58,188 |
| Train Driver | £58,038 |
| Construction Manager | £54,328 |
| Oil Rig Operative | £53,000 |
| Security Manager | £52,647 |
| Games Developer | £51,084 |
| Project Manager | £50,077 |
| Buying Manager | £46,450 |
| Translator | £46,346 |
| Accountant | £44,315 |
| Private Chef | £44,200 |
| Army Officer | £43,962 |
| Digital Marketing Manager | £43,434 |
| Landscape Designer | £43,280 |
| ChatGPT Prompt Engineer | £43,264 |
| Interpretor | £43,255 |
| Operations Manager | £43,224 |
| Scaffolder | £43,134 |
| Mining Construction | £40,382 |
| Electrician | £40,145 |
Read more: 20 jobs you can do without a degree and how much they pay
Looking for a graduate role? You can also use our Value My Degree tool to see how much your degree is worth!