9 Most Common Jobs for People Without a College Degree – They Might Surprise You
Written by
Chris Adam
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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While there is lots of talk about the job market and whether a college degree is necessary for success, many Americans continue to secure employment without it. According to CNBC, and based on U.S. Census data, more than 60% of U.S. workers don’t have degrees. These can sometimes be among the hardest positions for businesses to fill and retain workers.
Even if you don’t find that statistic surprising, you may be surprised by some of the most common jobs for people without college degrees and how they differ for men and women. Here’s a look at nine of the most common jobs for those without college degrees and the differences between men and women.
Also check out this job offering $400k a year that requires no college degree.
Men vs. Women
According to an analysis of government data by the Pew Research Center, “Young women without a college degree are highly concentrated in a few job types, including customer service representatives, nursing and home health aides, and first-line supervisors of sales workers, as of 2023.”
The top list for men is quite different. The top three occupations for young men without degrees are driver/sales workers and truck drivers, construction workers and freight and material movers. According to Pew, “This mismatch in the jobs men and women hold is often referred to as “occupational segregation,” and there is more of it among young workers without a bachelor’s degree than there is among those with a college education.”
You may be wondering how this occupation segregation has evolved over time. According to the data, it has declined since 1970. College-educated women have seen the largest decline. However, since 2000, the U.S. has seen a decline in young women without a college degree.
Top Jobs for Young Women
Here’s a look at the top five occupations for young women without college degrees in the U.S., along with the number employed in 2023 and average salaries. For clarification as to what young workers means in this case, it’s 25- to 34-year-old.
1. Customer Service Representatives
- Employed in 2023: 334,000
- Average Salaries: $44,000
2. Nursing, Psychiatric and Home Health Aides
- Employed in 2023: 288,000
- Average Salaries: $33,000
3. First-line Supervisors of Sales Workers
- Employed in 2023: 270,000
- Average Salaries: $52,000
4. Cashiers
- Employed in 2023: 243,000
- Average Salaries: $31,000
5. Servers
- Employed in 2023: 234,000
- Average Salaries: $37,000
Top Jobs for Young Men
Here’s a look at the top five occupations for young men without college degrees in the U.S., along with the number employed in 2023 and average salaries.
1. Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers
- Employed in 2023: 625,000
- Average Salaries: $56,000
2. Construction Workers
- Employed in 2023: 396,000
- Average Salaries: $49,000
3. Laborers and Freight, Stock and Material Movers
- Employed in 2023: 385,000
- Average Salaries: $40,000
4. First-Line Supervisors of Sales Workers
- Employed in 2023: 362,000
- Average Salaries: $52,000
5. Chefs and Cooks
- Employed in 2023: 345,000
- Average Salaries: $63,000
Other Notes
When looking at the 10 largest occupations held by young men and women without college degrees, there are a couple in common. Those are retail salespersons and first-line supervisors of sales workers. Keep in mind that young men and women working at the same place can be doing different things, such as young women being more likely to work as servers and young men being cooks.
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