On January 11, 2017, Susannah Snider published “25 Best Jobs that Don’t Require a College Degree” in U.S. News. The jobs she listed were . . .

1. Maintenance and Repair Worker
2. Veterinary Technician
3. Personal Care Aide
4. Medical Assistant
5. Insurance Sales Agent
6. MRI Technologist
7. Medical Secretary
8. Physical Therapist Aide
9. Medical Records Technician
10. Wind Turbine Technician
11. Home Health Aide
12. Computer Support Specialist
13. Clinical Laboratory Technician
14. Hearing Aid Specialist
15. Radiation Therapist
16. Optician
17. Cardiovascular Technologist
18. Occupational Therapy Aide
19. Massage Therapist
20. Physical Therapy Assistant (apparently this is different from “Physical Care Aide, listed above)
21. Respiratory Therapist
22. Dental Hygienist
23. Web Developer
24. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
25. Occupational Therapy Assistant

Very Well, But . . .

Individuals who have not yet earned a college degree from a four-year institution can certainly find employment in those jobs. They are all jobs that can offer long-term employment. Plus, people can work them while they are concurrently completing undergraduate programs. In other words, they are good career choices.

Yet we noticed that in the list above, only two jobs (Computer Support Specialist and Web Developer) fall solidly within the STEM professions. Aren’t there a growing number of technical, STEM-based jobs that non-college grads can work on a permanent or interim basis? We believe there are. (See “Entry-Level Cyber Security Jobs for Students,” a post that appeared on this blog on January 29, 2018.)

When we think of STEM-related jobs that individuals can work without completing four years of college, we come up with a list that includes . . .

1. 3D Printing Technologists
2. CAD Specialists
3. Computer Graphic Artists and Designers
4. Cyber Security Analysts
5. Laboratory Technicians
6. Web Developers

Those are only the first six tech careers that come to mind. They all offer good employment possibilities today, like the jobs that Ms. Snider listed in U.S. News. Plus, they are all good options for students to work while, or before completing undergraduate degrees.

If you would like to have a deeper understanding of what is happening in today’s job market, Participate in the National Career and College Pathway Study.

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