If you’re not seeking roles requiring a university degree or find yourself with a degree, you’re unsure how to utilize, we’ve compiled a list of the top 40 jobs that don’t require a degree. Numerous factors come into play when selecting a career path for yourself.
While some prioritize personal motivation, flexibility, and job satisfaction, others prioritize financial gains. If you fall into the latter category, we’ve identified various jobs across multiple industries offering significantly higher salaries. These industries span fitness, medicine, finance, engineering, technology, law, human resources, and others.
This article presents the average salary alongside starting and peak salaries for each job, ensuring you’re equipped with all necessary information. All salary data has been sourced from reputable platforms like Reed, Glassdoor, and PayScale.
If you are not looking for jobs that require a university degree, or if you have a useless degree and don’t know what to do with it, we have also listed the top 40 jobs without a degree.
There are multiple factors you have to consider when choosing a career for yourself.
While some people factor in personal motivation, flexibility, and job satisfaction at the top of their list when choosing a career, others consider financial profits. If you fall into the latter category, we have identified different jobs in multiple industries, where you can earn significantly higher salaries.
These industries include fitness, medicine, finance, engineering, technology, legal, human resources, and others. This article will include the average salary alongside the starting and highest salary for each job, ensuring you have all the information you need.
All pay data has been taken from, Reed, Glassdoor and PayScale.
1. Personal Trainer
Average Salary – £27,000
Starting Salary: £20,000
Highest Salary – £126,00 for elite personal trainers
A Personal Trainer has the expertise and abilities to assist customers in achieving their objectives through workout regimens and exercise instruction.
Personal Training is an excellent way to make money; in some of London’s top gyms, you may earn up to £126,600 as reported on Payscale or £120 for 1 personal training session. Since 2014, the fitness business has been on the rise, therefore this is a wonderful time to start a career in an area that is in high demand.
Personal training classes, working as a personal trainer at a gym or fitness club, or even becoming a self-employed personal trainer are all available options. Besides, you can use your personal training skills for helping others in your community.
The table shows the average personal trainer salary based on 25 hours per week as a guide. Learn now how to become a personal trainer.
Hourly Rate Weekly Income Monthly Income Yearly Income
£20 per hour £500 £2,000 £24,000
£30 per hour £750 £3,000 £36,000
£40 per hour £1,000 £4,000 £48,000
£50 per hour £1,250 £5,000 £60,000
£60 per hour £1,500 £6,000 £72,000
£70 per hour £1,750 £7,000 £84,000
man sitting on fitness ball
2. Chief Executive Officer
Average Salary – £77,711
Starting Salary – £47,846
Highest Salary -£96,930
What is involved?
In the UK, Chief Executives, also known as CEOs or Managing Directors, are usually the highest-ranking people in any organization, and they enjoy the highest average salary. Chief Executives can work both in the private and public sectors, and they are in charge of the whole company, as they make essential decisions to maximize the company’s value.
Typically, they receive their job description from a board of directors that they report directly to. Besides, having a business-related degree, postgraduate qualifications like an MBA, leadership skills, relevant experience, and a track record of making good business decisions are requirements for this job role.
3. Entrepreneur
Average Salary – £101,000
Starting Salary – £18,000
Highest Salary – £181,000
What is involved?
Being an entrepreneur is probably the highest-paid job not just in the UK, but also globally.
Because entrepreneurs are those starting a business, they can make or break a business, which means their salaries can be as low as £18,000 to a maximum of several millions.
Entrepreneurs’ ideas are frequently borne out of their qualifications, talents, interests, or personal situations, and are frequently shaped in reaction to a lucrative market opportunity.
While all entrepreneurs need an imaginative mind to spot trends and opportunities, not all entrepreneurs produce wholly new goods. Similarly, a fitness professional may collaborate with an entrepreneur who may assist them in marketing their fitness business and building a profitable company.
4. Strength and Conditioning Coach
Average Salary – £27,898
Starting Salary – £24,000
Highest salary- £80,000
What is involved:
A strength and conditioning coach is responsible for establishing and maintaining a strength and conditioning program which has been tailored to their clients. This is a great alternative role for a job without a degree as it provides opportunities to explore sports and athletic performance.
It’s important to mention that the highest salary of £80,000 / year is only achieved after many years of professional experience and by working with elite clients. This career choice is also a good choice for nurses looking to change careers.
5. Chief Financial Officer
Average Salary – £97,646
Starting Salary – £71,216
Highest Salary – £112,079
What is involved?
A chief financial officer (CFO) monitors and leads the company’s financial activities for long-term growth. They are responsible for budgeting, planning, analysing the company’s financial health, and providing guidance and corrective measures to improve its profits. This job role is one that you’ll have to work your way up to as there are no distinct requirements.
However, relevant experience and a finance-related qualification from a professional body like ACCA or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales can increase your chances.
6. Lawyer
Average Salary – £48,414
Starting Salary – £86,500
Highest Salary -£125,000
What is involved?
Lawyers are licensed professionals who offer legal advice to both individuals and companies, and you need a law degree for this job. As a lawyer in the UK, you can work as a barrister or solicitor. While barristers represent their clients in court, solicitors provide legal support.
Besides, there are other specialisations in the law field that you work in, like corporate law, commercial law, family law, or criminal litigation.
7. Orthodontist
Average Salary – £77,757
Starting Salary – £50,335
Highest Salary – £82,738
What is involved?
Orthodontists are specialist dentists trained to work on jaw and tooth alignment. They work with everyone, but they typically treat teenagers and children with developing jaws and teeth to assess whether they need braces, retainers, orthodontic headgear, or teeth straightening surgery.
To be an orthodontist, you first need to get a Dentistry degree and train to specialise as an orthodontist.
8. Information Technology Manager
Average Salary – £34,607
Starting Salary -£53,749
Highest Salary -£85,100
What is involved?
IT managers are senior management in the company, and they are responsible for all the software and hardware acquired and installed. They direct and manage the IT operations through the company’s different departments.
They also offer technical advice, identify potential upgrades, update software, and assist employees when needed. A computer science degree is not required, but it can give you a lead over other candidates.
9. Cybersecurity Specialist
Average Salary – $31,260
Starting Salary – £29,274
Highest Salary – £46,244
What is involved?
With the increase in cybercrime and fraud, the demand for cybersecurity experts is at an all-time high. Companies in different industries need cybersecurity specialists to ensure their security and privacy.
Besides, you need a cybersecurity apprenticeship or degree to enter this industry.
10. Accountant
Average Salary – £36,161
Starting Salary – £25,052
Highest Salary – £66,364
What is involved?
Accountants help their clients with everything accounting-related, from tax advice to payroll and financial accounting. They can work in accounting firms and other industries as accounting consultants, and their starting salary can depend on the type and size of the company.
Plus, to enter the accounting industry, you need an accounting degree and qualifications from a professional body like ACCA or the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
11. Financial Institution Manager
Average Salary – £58,085
Starting Salary – £27,802
Highest Salary – £78,487
What is involved?
Bank managers and insurance managers are in charge of hundreds of millions in investments and funds. They are also responsible for the management of the financial institution.
To become a manager in a bank or an insurance institution, you need banking or finance experience, and you must pass the Financial Conduct Authority’s fit and proper test.
12. Professor
Average Salary – £75,115
Starting Salary – £61,319
Highest Salary – £78,213
What is involved?
Professors are one of the senior academic staff, and most of them follow either one or a combination of research and teaching careers. They are usually among the top-earning careers in the UK, depending on their experience.
Additionally, becoming a professor is a long process involving getting a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, PhD, and significant professional experience.
13. Investment Banker
Average Salary – £70,000
Starting Salary – £30,000
Highest Salary – £165,000
What is involved?
Investment bankers are in charge of preparing business valuations, creating scenarios for future acquisitions, and speaking to prospective investors. To become an investment banking associate, you need a finance-related degree or qualification and experience in equity and contact analysis.
14. Dentist
Average Salary – £50,941
Starting Salary – £36,201
Highest Salary – £70,000
What is involved?
You need to complete a degree in dentistry to become a dentist, and you can run your dental practice or work for the government. Dentists can also become consultants. Plus, the salary you get as a dentist depends majorly on the years you’ve spent as a consultant.
15. Actuary
Average Salary – £60,020
Starting Salary – £30,112
Highest Salary – £98,113
What is involved?
Actuaries are business experts that apply economic, financial, mathematical, and statistical analyses to assess financial risks and solve business problems. They work in banking, insurance, healthcare, investment management, corporate finance, and others.
To succeed in this career, you need to pass the actuarial exams, and skills in risk management, data analysis, data-backed decision-making, and data management are critical.
16. Business Analyst
Average Salary – £31,429
Starting Salary – £28,000
Highest Salary – £40,000
What is involved?
Business analysts conduct research, analyse results, and develop solutions to address business problems and improve various systems, procedures, and workflows. They usually work in multiple organizations and industries. You need a business management or finance-related degree to get employed as a business analyst.
17. Judge
Average Salary – £67,500
Starting Salary – £44,000
Highest Salary – £110,000
What is involved?
A judge’s job comes with the huge responsibility of deciding people’s fates. It is a very competitive and lengthy process to become a judge. You need extensive law knowledge, and experience, an undergraduate LLB, a Graduate Diploma in law, and a Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course.
18. Product Manager
Average Salary – £49,550
Starting Salary -£36,685
Highest Salary – £58,000
What is involved?
Product managers are in charge of products in digital products, physical goods and financial products. Some digital products include websites, apps, and computer games, while financial products are not limited to credit cards, loans, and mortgages.
Product managers ensure that there are no issues with their products and increase revenues gotten from product sales.
19. Broker
Average Salary – £40,588
Starting Salary – £33,000 Highest Salary – £100,000
What is involved?
Brokers, including insurance brokers, foreign exchange dealers, and stockbrokers, are among the highest earners in the UK. Brokers manage the investment portfolios of clients, from stock, shares and stocks to insurance and foreign exchange.
They advise clients on the best deals to make, and their clients can range from individuals to large corporations. You don’t need a specific degree to become a broker, but most employers require an undergraduate degree in business-related fields.
20. Software Developer
Average Salary – £31,095
Starting Salary – £25,628
Highest Salary – £45,667
What is involved?
Software developers design and develop applications and websites, and they are responsible for maintaining the company’s computer software. University degrees are not a requirement to be a software developer, but software development courses and boot camps will help you build skills in different programming languages like Python.
21. Dermatologist
Average Salary – £69,209
Starting Salary -£60,000
Highest Salary – £99,066
What is involved?
Dermatologists focus on skin diseases and conditions like psoriasis, eczema, acne, shingles, and skin cancer. They also offer cosmetic treatments like fillers, laser procedures, and Botox injections. To be a dermatologist, you have to first train to be a medical doctor before specializing in dermatology.
22. HR Director
Average Salary – £71,248
Starting Salary – £58,272
Highest Salary – £77,934
What is involved?
The HR director is in charge of overseeing every aspect of the HR department, and they set HR goals and enforce company policies. You need a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in human resources, business administration, or industrial psychology and over five years of experience in managerial positions to become a Human Resource Director.
Hiring software will help you not only with the best selection of candidates for a job but also help to automate the process of recruiting in general.
23. Optometrist
Average Salary – £38,403
Starting Salary – £31,000
Highest Salary – £46,000
What is involved?
To become an optometrist, you need to get your degree in optometry and register with the General Optical Council. Optometry is one of the highest-paying positions in the healthcare sector. Besides, you can set up a private practice or work for the NHS.
24. Electrical Engineer
Average Salary – £32,727
Starting Salary – £26,829
Highest Salary – £40,883
What is involved?
Electrical engineers are responsible for designing, developing and testing electrical systems. You need a degree in electrical engineering or electronic engineering to become an electrical engineer in the UK. Still, a degree in Applied Physics, Mechatronics, and electromechanical engineering may also be able to get you into this career.
25. Geologist
Average Salary – £37, 496
Starting Salary – £22,000
Highest Salary – £98,000
What is involved?
Geologists, also referred to as earth scientists and geoscientists, are interested in studying the earth’s materials, processes, and products. Geologists can specialize in different specialties from mining to environmental, engineering, geochemistry, and others. To become a geologist, you need a degree in geoscience or earth sciences.
26. Tax Director
Average Salary – £45,571
Starting Salary – £44,000
Highest Salary – £48,000
What is involved?
Tax directors are responsible for developing, planning, and implementing the company’s tax strategy, and they ensure that the tax returns are accurate. They are also in charge of ensuring the company complies with all appropriate tax statutes. To be a tax director, you need accounting skills and substantial experience in tax laws and regulations.
27. Pediatrician
Average Salary – £92,864
Starting Salary -£65,000
What is involved?
Pediatricians treat social, mental, and physical issues in babies, toddlers, and teenagers. They usually carry out diagnostic tests, treat sicknesses and administer vaccines to their patients. Plus, there are different fields they can specialise in, like cardiology and neonatology.
28. Public Relations Director
Average Salary – £33,793
Starting Salary – £29,000
Highest Salary – £37,000
What is involved?
PR directors are involved in developing a positive public image of their clients. They are responsible for coordinating public relations campaigns and organizing conferences to help promote the client or company they work for. To become a PR director, you need a degree in communications, marketing, or public relations and experience at a management level.
29. Ophthalmologist
Average Salary – £82,000
Highest Salary – £197,000
What is involved?
Ophthalmologists are specialist doctors that focus on diagnosing and treating eye diseases like cataracts and glaucoma. These specialists also perform surgical eye operations such as oculoplastic surgery and corneal transplant. To become an ophthalmologist, you need to complete your medical degree before specializing in ophthalmology.
30. Java Developer
Average Salary – £55,381
Starting Salary – £26,000
Highest Salary – £70,000
What is involved?
Java developers earn one of the highest salaries in the UK. They are software developers that use the Java programming language to design and develop applications and sites. To become a Java developer, you don’t need a degree; Java programming language skills are all you need.
31. Nephrologist
Average Salary – £96,940
Highest Salary – £120,000
What is involved?
Nephrologists are specialist medical doctors that diagnose and treat diseases that affect the kidneys like kidney stones, kidney infections, kidney failure, and kidney cancer. These doctors also treat patients with illnesses that can lead to kidney failure, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other autoimmune diseases.
32. Enterprise Architect
Average Salary – £71,400
Starting Salary – £51,000
Highest Salary – £120,000
What is involved?
Enterprise Architects ensure that the company is investing in suitable systems, and they are responsible for the upkeep of the IT networks and operations. Plus, an enterprise architect is expected to have a computer science or information technology degree and over five years of IT experience.
33. Economist
Average Salary – £45,000
Starting Salary -£35,192
Highest Salary – £70,000
What is involved?
Economists carry out research, gather information, and analyze data using different mathematical models and statistical techniques. To become an economist, you need an undergraduate degree in economics or related subjects like accounting, finance, or mathematics.
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