Attention high school grads: You don’t have to rack up a mountain of student loan debt in order to secure a good career.  And you don’t have to go to the School of Hard Knocks, either.  A recent Yahoo! Hot Jobs article listed ten jobs that require no bachelor’s degree, meaning you’ll keep your education borrowing to a minimum.

Source: Yahoo! Hot Jobs: Good Pay Without a  4-Year Degree

Here’s the list, with the median annual pay for someone with 3-5 years’ experience, plus my two cents worth:

Network installers, network administrators, computer systems administrators - $49,801

This involves computers and wireless networks.  Looks like a pretty broad description, as I see these as separate jobs.  I know that our network administrators don’t get their hands dirty by pulling cable and lifting ceiling tiles.  I wonder what the breakdown is between the different categories.

Police officer - $47,485

Some departments take people right out of high school.  A clean record would help speed the acceptance process along.  You probably have to pass a standardized test, also.  A nice pension and benefits, but the risk of getting shot would move this one down the list for me.

Court reporter - $47,275

As the article says, job security.  We live in a litigious society.  Is this a fancy name for the stenographer who types every spoken word?  I know there must be plenty of downtime due to frequent court recesses, not to mention long lunch hours.

Clinical laboratory technologist - $47,081

I love all of the CSI-type TV shows, but I wouldn’t want to be picking through someone else’s dead flesh and guts.  Dressing a deer is one thing, but I don’t think that I’d be comfortable handling human tissue samples.

Heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) installer - $44,814

I know someone who does this for a living.  Crawling around in attics during the summer doesn’t sound appealing.  I sweat.  Alot.  I’d lose enough weight to look like a normal person.  I’d probably be healthier, too.

Computer numerical control - $44,629

This one’s good if you like working with robots in a manufacturing environment.  I was always amazed by the CAD/CAM workstations at one of my previous jobs, but the noise was deafening.  I’ll stick to the office side of manufacturing.

Solar energy systems installer - $44,460

This is a potential boom industry.  My company has increased their investment in energy-saving equipment, and the federal stimulus bill has created a demand for these jobs.

Correctional officer - $42,795

I worked with an engineer several years ago who had taken the county corrections officer’s civil service test while he had been between jobs.  He was called a few years after taking the test, and wound up accepting the position and going through the academy.  His name appeared on the cover of the local paper as one of the top overtime earners in the county.  He made close to $100 thousand in overtime in one year!

Security and fire-alarm systems installers - $41,417

As the price of security systems drops, the demand goes up, requiring more installers.  Training can be done in two weeks for about $1,000.  That’s a quick turnaround time, and allows you to start earning money right away.

Aircraft mechanic - $39,584

This job has better pay than an auto mechanic, and an unending demand for air travel will provide a steady growth in this field.  I wonder if they fly for free?

Can you think of any other jobs that weren’t listed in the article that meet this criteria?

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