More high-paying jobs don’t require a uni degree, experts say

Employers are increasingly ditching degrees as prerequisites to jobs – including some paying almost $100,000. Find out the surprise roles you don’t need to go to uni to get.

Traditional trades are not the only lucrative jobs on offer for those without a degree, with commercial pilots, app developers and aircraft mechanics earning an average of almost $100,000 without ever having attended uni.

Drafters, engineering technicians and property managers also typically enjoy pay in excess of $75,000 without a university qualification, with research showing employers are ditching degrees as a prerequisite to jobs to widen the recruitment net and fill positions.

Experts say the list of professions where a degree is not required is growing. They urge Australians to check job requirements to avoid expensive and time-consuming qualifications that are not necessary to secure a role.

“There’s no doubt there are students out there getting a university degree when they probably didn’t need it (and) for some it will be because their job just didn’t require it,’’ says Will Stubley, co-founder of school leaver service Year13.

Some jobs are offering earn-while-you-learn pathways, rather than requiring all applicants to require university degrees.

Relaxing training requirements

Continuing skills shortages are forcing employers to become more creative when it comes to recruitment, research from job site Indeed showing 55 per cent of companies now prefer on-the-job experience to a university degree.

Stubley says rapidly advancing sectors like tech prioritise shorter accreditations, such as one-year diplomas, and diverse entry pathways to ensure the skills of job seekers remain relevant.

But even traditional occupations are now starting to follow suit. And Stubley says while professions such as medicine will always need university training, many other career fields are relaxing their education requirements.

This year, Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand introduced a non-university, earn-while-you-learn pathway to become a chartered accountant in an attempt to overcome the barriers faced by some people in attending uni and a slump in enrolments for accounting degrees.

“(Employers) are needing more pipeline of talent into these industries, and so these employers are much less focused on the brand of education and more focused on the capabilities of the students they’re hiring,’’ Stubley says.

“If you’re keen for a more direct route into a job, it pays to explore all your education and training options and the preferences of employers in the space you’re wanting to enter who, like the tech and accounting industries, could have diverse pathways into them.’’

Alternative pathways

There are many lucrative jobs available for those without a university degree, says NextGenJobs innovative programs national manager Mark D’Aversa. This includes roles in the automative, IT, design, engineering, construction and health sectors.

Higher apprenticeships, also known as degree-level apprenticeships, are also being offered in several occupations, allowing apprentices to gain degree-level qualifications through a more hands-on, vocational-style approach.

These models not only allow Australians to earn while completing a qualification and avoid “massive’’ HECS-HELP debts but also provide on-the-job experience that employers increasingly desire, D’Aversa says.

“There’s nothing wrong with university. But there are other options and vocational education and training or apprenticeships offer a great way to get a foot in the door (to your chosen profession),’’ he says.

“The world of work is constantly changing and many bosses are placing more emphasis on skills and experience as opposed to a formal qualification.

“People looking to work as a draftsperson or an engineering technician can work their way into highly paid roles without needing a formal degree and they can get hands-on experience while they’re doing it (training).’’

Bethany Heintze, 19, is working for leading aeromedical organisation LifeFlight.

Bethany’s career takes flight

With no desire to attend university, Bethany Heintze, 19, thought becoming an aeromechanical engineer was well beyond reach until she learned she could pursue her dream through an apprenticeship.

In her first year of training, employed by leading aeromedical organisation LifeFlight, Heintze is already servicing rotary wing helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

“I’ve always loved pulling things apart and seeing how they work and understanding why they do what they do – just being mechanically minded,’’ she says.

“It was always a dream to get into a job like this. I barely scraped through Year 12 … (and) I always thought that you had to have straight As and be super intelligent (to be an aeromechanical engineer).

“It’s more about character and persistence. If you want to get to where you want to go, don’t let anybody stop you from what you want to do.’’

A word of caution

Most Australians would be surprised by the range of careers that don’t require a university degree, believes Indeed career expert Sally McKibbin.

But she says those looking for alternative career pathways must do their homework as prerequisite qualifications can vary from state to state.

In NSW, for example, paramedics can choose to undertake either a degree or a one-year on-the-job training program. In all other states, a degree is mandatory, McKibbin says.

“Read the job descriptions carefully and look at the job advertisement (for the training requirements specific to that position),’’ she says.

“We are seeing more companies wanting that skills-first approach, where a formal qualification may not be essential, but … there are still some roles that require a degree.’’

In many instances, McKibbin says job seekers can gain entry-level positions in their chosen sector and then progress to their desired role with experience and further training.

The surprising jobs you can get without a university degree

• Aircraft mechanic – national average salary $97,187

• App developer – $97,151

• Commercial pilot – $92,038

• Engineering technician – $82,538

• Drafter – $81,816

• Property manager – $77,813

• Telecoms technician – $73,370

• Occupational therapy assistant – $56,945

Source: Indeed

Originally published as More high-paying jobs don’t require a uni degree, experts say