Top non-degree jobs

[TexasHusker]

Are they listed in the order of profitability or? Tarot reader seems like a pleasant job, imho. I always thought you needed to graduate from Hogwartz to become one though.

In certain states you have to be licensed to be a card reader. I'm not sure if there are colleges for that job.

However, there is a college for mimes I believe - Colorado School of Mimes. Might not be a bad gig.

Another trade that there is a shortage of is accordion repairmen.

[amarowsky]

Railroading! You can start right out of highschool, no experience and work your way up. If you desire to engineer, or to office work. There are many aspects in this, train crew, track crew, maintenance, mechanics.

Great pay, great benefits and a lifetime of good work. The retirement is also good, pension, widows pension, many benefits.

This is a career that is not going away and needs people.

This was my route. I was a conductor for NS for 9 years, from 20 to 29. Last year I finished my degree and escaped though... honestly I do miss many aspects of the job. By far the easiest job I've ever had. Schedule sucked though, and there is no future there except for making money by working long hours.

I work on sales side for an automotive engineering company now. I really don't have any interest in cars, but they promote quickly at my work, so potential bright future.

As for railroad future, there should be jobs for a while. But the rr companies are doing everything they can to go cut as many jobs and replace with autonomous machine control (they call it pcs system). With my low seniority, I was losing job opportunities every month, because they kept cutting jobs. I was nervous that there wouldn't be any good shifts available to me until I was like 50.... that's why I had them pay for school and then I immediately left.

Money was good for no college required. Some guys who worked a lot could make as much as 140k a year. I would say real average was between 65k and 95k . In detroit area that puts you in a very comfortable income range.

[amarowsky]

I recall hearing elevator repair and install as being the best + highest paying, available blue collar job. Last time I checked, starting full time pay was ~$40 ish an hour. That put it about 7 more than I was pulling at the railroad...