Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

No Degree No Longer Means No Job

Finding a good job without a college degree used to be next-to-impossible, but in today’s ever-changing world, a college education is hard to afford and often times, even harder to justify.

According to the Department of Education, the average in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities nationwide rose 8.3 percent to $8,244 this academic year versus last year, the College Board reported in its annual survey of the cost of higher education.

And that doesn’t even factor in the cost of the weekly keggers.

Added to this equation is the sad news that even college grads with masters and doctorates are finding it difficult to land jobs that are not in a drive-thru.

So what should you do if you can’t afford a four-year degree and you’re ready for a career?

Lucky for you, there are positions that will enable you to live and enjoy your life without having to join a fraternity. Many of these positions involve some training - but all offer a good salary and potential for significant income and employment growth.

At the top of the list: dental hygienists.

Darcy Rogers, a registered dental hygienist in San Diego, enrolled in to Mesa College’s RDA Program, to study for the Dental Assisting National Board. This program, also offered at Palomar College. teaches you to become a certified dental assistant and/or a California registered dental assistant.

“I didn’t go to a four-year college, but I’m making more money than my friends that went off to school,” Rogers said.

If you get freaked out by even making a dental appointment, you might need to go in another direction.

Studies show that commercial airline pilots, nuclear power plant operators, and landscape architects can pull in some big bucks without a bachelor’s degree too.

A recent New York Times article showed that personal trainers are still in hot demand. The newspaper reported that, “In a country with a 35.7 percent obesity rate, potential customers are plentiful, at least in theory.”

This certification is not very difficult to obtain and is relatively cheap compared to any other type of trade school. To be successful in this line of work you will most likely want to be a very physically active person yourself, as well as have a passion for this line of work. If you love the newest trends in fitness, and spend lots of time in the gym already, this could be the perfect career option for you, but beware: there are a lot of trainers and fit people in Southern California.

Sponsored
Sponsored

John Myers was a personal trainer in San Diego and struggled to make ends meet for six years. When he moved to Washington D.C. to be closer to family, he found his phone ringing off the hook with clients.

“I had no idea that I could do so well here as a trainer,” he said. “If I did, I would have moved a lot sooner.”

Yes, yes, all of these careers may still require other forms of education and certain job skills, but considering a weak job market, and the possibility of high levels of student debt post-college, opting out of higher education doesn’t always spell financial doom, although it might spell ‘paycheck.’

Here are 10 great jobs that don’t require a four-year degree — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012.

— Dental Hygienist

Average Starting Salary: $45,000

Income Growth: 109%

Employment Growth: 37.70%

— Online Advertising Manager

Average Starting Salary: $40,000

Income Growth: 255%

Employment Growth: 25.00%

— Web Developer

Average Starting Salary: $43,000

Income Growth: 179%

Employment Growth: 21.70%

— Medical Secretary

Average Starting Salary: $21,000

Income Growth: 114%

Employment Growth: 41.30%

— Paralegal Assistant

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 159%

Employment Growth: 18.30%

— Stenographer/Court Reporter

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 250%

Employment Growth: 14.10%

— Heating/Refrigeration Mechanic

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 158%

Employment Growth: 33.70%

— Surveyor

Average Starting Salary: $31,000

Income Growth: 190%

Employment Growth: 25.40%

— Executive Assistant

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 131%

Employment Growth: 12.60%

— Insurance Agent

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 342%

Employment Growth: 21.90 %

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Roll-over crashes crop up in San Diego and Baja

Nails, beer, Coca-Cola, Mexican pop singer Luis Miguel's stage equipment
Next Article

Kaylee Daugherty, Pinback, Chorduroy, Moondaddy, and Mr. Tube & the Flying Objects

Solos, duos, and full bands in Mira Mesa, Del Mar, City Heights, Little Italy, East Village

Finding a good job without a college degree used to be next-to-impossible, but in today’s ever-changing world, a college education is hard to afford and often times, even harder to justify.

According to the Department of Education, the average in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities nationwide rose 8.3 percent to $8,244 this academic year versus last year, the College Board reported in its annual survey of the cost of higher education.

And that doesn’t even factor in the cost of the weekly keggers.

Added to this equation is the sad news that even college grads with masters and doctorates are finding it difficult to land jobs that are not in a drive-thru.

So what should you do if you can’t afford a four-year degree and you’re ready for a career?

Lucky for you, there are positions that will enable you to live and enjoy your life without having to join a fraternity. Many of these positions involve some training - but all offer a good salary and potential for significant income and employment growth.

At the top of the list: dental hygienists.

Darcy Rogers, a registered dental hygienist in San Diego, enrolled in to Mesa College’s RDA Program, to study for the Dental Assisting National Board. This program, also offered at Palomar College. teaches you to become a certified dental assistant and/or a California registered dental assistant.

“I didn’t go to a four-year college, but I’m making more money than my friends that went off to school,” Rogers said.

If you get freaked out by even making a dental appointment, you might need to go in another direction.

Studies show that commercial airline pilots, nuclear power plant operators, and landscape architects can pull in some big bucks without a bachelor’s degree too.

A recent New York Times article showed that personal trainers are still in hot demand. The newspaper reported that, “In a country with a 35.7 percent obesity rate, potential customers are plentiful, at least in theory.”

This certification is not very difficult to obtain and is relatively cheap compared to any other type of trade school. To be successful in this line of work you will most likely want to be a very physically active person yourself, as well as have a passion for this line of work. If you love the newest trends in fitness, and spend lots of time in the gym already, this could be the perfect career option for you, but beware: there are a lot of trainers and fit people in Southern California.

Sponsored
Sponsored

John Myers was a personal trainer in San Diego and struggled to make ends meet for six years. When he moved to Washington D.C. to be closer to family, he found his phone ringing off the hook with clients.

“I had no idea that I could do so well here as a trainer,” he said. “If I did, I would have moved a lot sooner.”

Yes, yes, all of these careers may still require other forms of education and certain job skills, but considering a weak job market, and the possibility of high levels of student debt post-college, opting out of higher education doesn’t always spell financial doom, although it might spell ‘paycheck.’

Here are 10 great jobs that don’t require a four-year degree — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012.

— Dental Hygienist

Average Starting Salary: $45,000

Income Growth: 109%

Employment Growth: 37.70%

— Online Advertising Manager

Average Starting Salary: $40,000

Income Growth: 255%

Employment Growth: 25.00%

— Web Developer

Average Starting Salary: $43,000

Income Growth: 179%

Employment Growth: 21.70%

— Medical Secretary

Average Starting Salary: $21,000

Income Growth: 114%

Employment Growth: 41.30%

— Paralegal Assistant

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 159%

Employment Growth: 18.30%

— Stenographer/Court Reporter

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 250%

Employment Growth: 14.10%

— Heating/Refrigeration Mechanic

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 158%

Employment Growth: 33.70%

— Surveyor

Average Starting Salary: $31,000

Income Growth: 190%

Employment Growth: 25.40%

— Executive Assistant

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 131%

Employment Growth: 12.60%

— Insurance Agent

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 342%

Employment Growth: 21.90 %

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

University Heights Fall Festival, Haunted Ghost Town

Events October 19-October 23, 2024
Next Article

Recalling a nighttime firefight in my Rolando condo complex

This was years ago, but I still freeze when I hear anything that sounds like gunfire
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader