The American economy is increasingly rewarding workers with college degrees, but that doesn’t mean those without a piece of parchment can’t find a good job.
That’s good news for the US workforce, given that about seven out of 10 workers lack a college degree. The sweet spot for these workers can be found in occupations that have more job postings than people hired, which indicates an unfilled need for employees, according to a new study from CareerBuilder.
Even better, many of these jobs provide middle-class wages, paying between about $30,000 to $52,000 annually. The findings back up a recent study from Georgetown University and JPMorgan Chase that found the US now has 30 million jobs for less-educated workers that pay a median annual wage of $55,000, compared with 27 million of similar jobs in 1991.
But while good jobs for workers without college degrees may be plentiful, they still require some training and core competencies, CareerBuilder said.
“When people think of skills gaps, they typically think of high-skill tech or health care jobs that require advanced degrees,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, in a statement.
He added, “The reality is those gaps are being felt across all types of roles, including a wide range of jobs that don’t necessarily require a college education.”
Employers will first want to see whether job candidates have the core competencies to fill their open positions, or whether the workers can expand their skills, he added.
Decent jobs for less-educated workers have shifted away from industrial sectors and into newer skill-based industries, such as health care and service jobs, a trend that’s evident in CareerBuilder’s study. That’s benefiting a different type of worker, such as those who pursued some additional training after high school, or earning an associate’s degree or getting licensed within a profession.
Read on to learn about the top 10 jobs in 2018 for Americans without college degrees.
