Non-Degree Careers

Medical

100

Respiratory Therapist (#1)

• Median salary: 

•  Unemployment rate: 0.3 percent 

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 30,500 

• Short Job Description: Patients who have trouble breathing, including those who suffer from asthma, drowning victims and premature infants, receive care from respiratory therapists. These professionals need associate degrees.

Median salary: $59,710

200

Dental Hygienist  (#2)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 0.4 percent 

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 40,900

• Short Job Description: These oral health care experts, who clean dental patients' teeth and advise them on proper mouth hygiene, need associate degrees.

Median salary: $74,070

300

Medical Assistant  (#13)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 3 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 183,900

• Short Job Description: Medical assistants do important health care work without having to spend years in medical school. They record patient histories, measure blood pressure, schedule appointments and assist with examinations. These workers usually complete training programs after high school to earn certificates in their field.

Median salary: $32,480

400

Licensed Practical Nurse and Licensed Vocational Nurse  (#15)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 2.1 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 88,900

• Short Job Description: These health care support workers provide basic medical care such as monitoring patient health, keeping records and changing bandages. They complete certificate programs and must earn licenses to work.

Median salary: $45,030

500

MRI Technologist  (#17)

• Median salary: $69,930

• Unemployment rate: 2.2 percent 

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 5,000 

• Short Job Description: MRI technologists use magnetic resonance imaging scanners to diagnose medical conditions. These professionals need associate degrees.

Median salary: $69,930

Self-Employed (sometimes)

100

Plumber   (#11)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 4.7 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 75,200

• Short Job Description: Plumbers get their jobs through technical schools or apprenticeship training. They read blueprints, install pipes and replace worn parts.

Median salary: $52,590

200

Massage Therapist  (#16)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 1.1 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 42,100

• Short Job Description: Using their bodies to help other people relax and ease tension, massage therapists aren't confined to a desk for hours. They must complete training programs and obtain licenses, but don't need formal advanced degrees.

Median salary: $39,990

300

Hairdresser  (#12)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 2.2 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 80,100

• Short Job Description: After attending cosmetology school and earning licenses, these workers clean, cut, color and style clients' hair. Nearly three-quarters are self-employed.

Median salary: $24,850

400

Landscaper and Groundskeeper  (#6)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 1.5 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 135,200

• Short Job Description: Working outdoors in all kinds of weather, groundskeepers help maintain lawns, remove snow, clear waste and keep pools operational. Landscapers plant, fertilize, water and trim trees and flowers. They usually need licenses.

Median salary: $27,670

500

Web Developer  (#7)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 3.8 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 24,400

• Short Job Description: The photos that grab your attention, the text that informs you and the functions that allow you to enter information: Web developers are responsible for all these aspects of website design and creation. They also monitor web traffic. They need associate degrees.

Median salary: $67,990

Construction/Agriculture

100

Farmer  (#26)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 1%

• Expected new job openings by 2026: N/A

• Short Job Description: Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers operate establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically work outdoors, but may spend some time in offices. They often do strenuous physical work.

Median salary: $67,950

200

Wind Turbine Technician  (#10)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: 6.3 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 5,600

• Short Job Description: Installing and repairing wind turbines, which generate green energy, are the responsibilities of wind turbine technicians. Wind techs, as they're called, need to earn certificates in their field.             

Median salary: $53,880

300

Environmental Engineering Technician  (#18)

• Median salary:

• Unemployment rate: 1.6 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 2,200

• Short Job Description: After earning associate degrees, these workers carry out the plans developed by environmental engineers, which may include measuring pollution, operating equipment that cleans waste, keeping records and disposing of hazardous materials.

Median salary: $50,230

400

Maintenance and Repair Worker  (#23)

• Median salary:

• Unemployment rate: 3.2 percent

• Expected new job openings by 2026: 112,500

• Short Job Description: Maintenance and repair workers keep buildings and machines in good shape by fixing outlets, repairing floors, painting and adjusting plumbing and heating and cooling systems. They may need licenses.

Median salary: $37,670

500

Solar Photovoltaic Installers  (#24)

• Median salary: 

• Unemployment rate: N/A

• Expected new job openings by 2026: N/A

• Short Job Description:Assemble, install, or maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs or other structures in compliance with site assessment and schematics. May include measuring, cutting, assembling, and bolting structural framing and solar modules. May perform minor electrical work such as current checks. 

Median salary: $53,912