There’s no denying that a degree is a notable achievement. It can also open a lot of doors career-wise for someone who manages to attain one. If you have a particular career in mind which requires that you obtain a degree, then you should go for it. But if your career of choice does not require a degree, there is no need to force yourself to do something that you really do not want to do. More and more people in Australia are coming to a realization that you can still make it in life even if you do not have a university degree.
Sometimes it’s not even an issue of whether you want to go to university or not. At times people do not go to university because of factors like lack of funds or maybe their grades are just not good enough. But that should not stop you from achieving your goals because you can still earn good money without a degree. Below are some of the highest paying jobs in Australia without a degree.
- Construction Manager
One of the highest paying jobs is that of a construction manager. You can go the university degree route by obtaining a degree in construction, or you can simply do an online building and construction course. A construction manager is someone who supervises contractors and workers at building sites. As such, knowledge on how to plan and supervise construction projects is a major requirement. You should also know about calculating costs and preparing building plans. A construction Manager in Australia gets an average salary of $155,463 per annum, which is quite a substantial amount considering that a degree is not a prerequisite. In Australia, every construction manager must be registered with the Australian Business License and Information Service in order to operate.
- Ethical Hacker
With advances in technology, issues such as hacking are also on the rise. As such, cybersecurity has never been more important. An ethical hacker, also referred to as a white hat hacker, is someone who is on the good side of hacking. His or her job is to hack software with the intention to make certain that it does not contain any security flaws. You do not require a university degree, but you can still earn an average of $132,356 annually. And, the good thing about this job is that you will always have work to do because companies take the issue of cybersecurity very seriously. In terms of qualification, you have to sit for the Certified Ethical Hacker exam. You must also have more than two years’ experience working in the information security field.
- HR Manager
You can also become an HR Manager without a degree. Over the past couple of years, the demand for HR managers has increased drastically in Australia. HR Managers earn an average of $90,902 per year. This is the perfect position for someone who likes people management. As an HR Manager your main task will be to develop and manage strategies which ensure that a company has perfectly positioned employees. Another advantage associated with this job is that you will learn more about the job over time.
- Sales Manager
A career as a sales manager is another option for someone who is not interested in going to university for three to four years, but still wants a high paying job. You can earn up to $88,828 per year as a sales manager. The job description of a sales manager involves incorporating strategies that will help an organization to reach the desired sales. The manager achieves this by managing and guiding the company’s sales representatives.
The great thing about being a sales manager is that you can also get commissions. If you perform well, you can earn way more than the average yearly salary. Although you can choose to obtain a degree in business or marketing in order to get this position, you can thrive in this position if you are just good at sales and you manage to gain experience on the job.
- Fitness Manager
As a fitness manager, your annual salary will be around $86,372. A fitness manager is employed at a gym or health club and his or her main duty is to manage the operations of such facilities. Such management involves hiring experienced trainers and coming up with fitness programs such as aerobics and spin classes. You do not need a degree to become a fitness manager. However, in order to go up the ladder quickly, you can do a fitness-linked course.
- Real Estate Agent
As a real estate agent, you can earn as much as $97,862 every year, and you don’t require a college degree. However, this is not a job for just anyone because finding buyers for houses and people who want to rent apartments and houses will not be an easy task. But there are some people making it in this business, meaning if you have the right qualities you can make it too. In order to be a successful real estate agent, you must be a good salesperson and you must love networking with others. Another important thing to note is that with this job, it might take a while to get to a point where you start earning big in real estate. But if you continue to work hard and never give up, you will eventually get there.
As can be seen, you can still make it in life without a degree. This is not to say a degree is not relevant; there are certain professions which require a university degree qualification. But in this day and age, you can still get a job that pays an above-average salary even if you did not go to university. Like any other person who wants to be successful in their line of work, you will still have to work hard, be willing to learn the tricks of the trade and be committed to your work.