8 Highest-Paid Remote Jobs That Don’t Need 4-Year Degrees
In today’s highly competitive job market, many people might think that a four-year degree is the only way to obtain a good job. However, the reality is that there are plenty of job opportunities available that don’t call for a college degree.
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While a degree may certainly provide advantages and open up certain career paths, it is not a prerequisite for success. Many lucrative positions can be filled based off of valuable experience, skills, certifications, apprenticeships, or vocational programs.
Here are eight jobs you can get without a four-year degree.
Social Media Marketing Manager
Average salary: $133,380
Companies currently hiring for this role: Nintendo of America, Publix, Value Village
Social media managers handle everything from a company’s social media accounts, advertising to copywriting, and more. If working for a large company, you may even be managing a social media team to handle the marketing needs of the company.
Social media managers can easily earn over $100,000 per year as they are akin to a marketing professional, and the average salary is currently over $130,000 for marketing managers. Best of all, you don’t need a degree to qualify, and you can use your past client success as your portfolio to apply to a new position.
There are several large companies hiring for social media manager positions, such as Nintendo of America, Publix, and Value Village.
Advertising Manager
Average salary: $127,150
Companies currently hiring for this role: Spotify, TikTok, Discord
Advertising is a massive industry, and companies are competing for your attention and business. This makes advertising managers a very sought-after position and the average pay is well over $100,000 per year. The best part is that you don’t need a 4-year degree for this job!
Advertising managers handle the ad spend for a company and manage a marketing team that crafts the ad creative, copy, and landing pages for marketing campaigns. The average pay is around $127,000 per year, and there are many large companies that might even pay more, depending on your experience.
There are some big companies looking for advertising managers, such as Spotify, TikTok, and Discord.
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Inside Sales Manager
Average salary: $127,490
Companies currently hiring for this role: United Airlines, CorpNet, Strategic Financial Solutions
Inside sales teams are the ones picking up the phone and cold calling businesses on a daily. These teams have strict metrics they must meet, and sales quotas to hit on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Inside sales managers keep these teams on task and report to executives on the performance of the team.
Inside sales managers can easily make over $100,000, with many making over $150,000 per year. You don’t need a degree to become an inside sales manager, but you do need experience and some past sales results to qualify.
There are some big companies looking for advertising managers, such as United Airlines, CorpNet, and Strategic Financial Solutions.
Software Developer
Average salary: $109,020
Companies currently hiring for this role: Home Depot, Warner Brothers, IBM, Costco
Software developers seem to run the world at this point, and you no longer need to get a college degree to build the skills necessary for a remote developer job. With online certifications available and even free coding tools online, you just need to build a solid skill set in a popular development language to get a six-figure job.
Software developers do everything from coding websites to building mobile apps and creating internal tools for a company. The average salary is over $100,000 per year, and many companies will pay over $200,000 for a seasoned developer.
Almost every medium and large business in the U.S. is hiring a software developer, including giants like Home Depot, Warner Brothers, IBM, and Costco.
IT Manager
Average salary: $159,010
Companies currently hiring for this role: Sourced Craft Cocktails, Driven Technologies, Calista Corporation
Information Technology is the backbone of big businesses and managing a team of IT professionals can pay big bucks. Plus, you don’t typically need a degree for this position (just experience), and many jobs are available remotely.
IT Managers handle teams that support internal networks, computer security, unified communications, and more. Average salaries are over $150,000 per year.
Some of the companies looking for an IT manager are Sourced Craft Cocktails, Driven Technologies, and Calista Corporation.
Freelance Video Editor
Average salary: $105,000+
Companies currently hiring for this role: Stacklr, Confetti, emagine
Video is huge, and companies are pouring more resources into making high-quality videos for advertising and promotional content. A freelance video editor is a sought-after position for companies that value video but don’t want to hire a full-time position just yet.
Many freelance video editors charge up to $80 per hour, and even just landing a few clients to fill up 30 hours per week can put your over $100,000 per year in earnings!
Some companies looking for freelance video editors (that pay very well) are Stacklr, Confetti, and emagine.
Finance Project Manager
Average salary: $101,880
Companies currently hiring for this role: Liberty Mutual, a16z, Home Depot
Project managers handle the initiatives of teams inside a business to deliver results in a timely manner, and really act as the glue between disparate teams within a business unit. While some project manager positions would prefer a degree, many just need prior experience to qualify, and you can also get a project management professional (PMP) certification to boost your salary.
Many project manager positions are remote as most meetings can be handled online now, and online tracking tools help keep teams up-to-date on tasks. Pay can range from $100,000 to over $150,000, depending on the position and your experience.
Some companies hiring for project manager positions are Liberty Mutual, a16z, and Home Depot.
Technology Sales Manager
Average salary: $161,920
Companies currently hiring for this role: Dexcom, Together Credit Union, Stryker
Tech sales is a big industry, and sales teams are the lifeblood of a company, bringing in revenue and handling the big deals. Sales managers keep the teams focused on sales quotas and driving quarterly revenue goals for a company. There is not usually a degree required for this position, but you do need a bit of sales and management experience to qualify.
Technology sales managers make over $150,000 per year, and many can earn over $200,000 for larger companies with bigger sales teams.
Some of the companies looking for technology sales managers include Dexcom, Together Credit Union, and Stryker.
Bottom Line
While getting a 4-year degree can still be a great path for building a well-paying career, there are now many jobs that care more about your past results and experience than your college education. With most companies offering some type of remote work option, you can now earn six figures from the comfort of your home.
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