Anecdote for laughs: A brain surgeon was having a party and suddenly a leak required him to call a plumber. The plumber came out on an emergency call and after a half hour of work produced a $400 bill. The shocked brain surgeon said to the plumber “I’m a brain surgeon! I don’t even make that kind of money!” The plumber replied, “When I was a brain surgeon, I didn’t make THAT kind of money, either!”
Moral of the Story: Don’t think college is the only route for your child to obtain a higher-paying salary.
Bottom line for parents: Do not assume college is your child’s only route to a career.
How to take action: Make sure your adolescent obtains an in-depth, personalized career matching process, so that what they are meant to do becomes clear to them. Only then should you determine if college is necessary… There are many roads to Rome.
Rather than making the mistaken assumption that colleges have the time to do in-depth career guidance, make your adolescent responsible for figuring out what they are meant to do by undergoing personalized career guidance.
Link to movie describing our in-depth career guidance process
Link to our Overview of Services
Jobs that do not require a degree:
| Job title | Median annual salary | Projected openings (through 2022) |
| Elevator installers and repairers | $76,650 | 8,000 |
| Nuclear power reactor operators | $74,990 | 2,300 |
| Detectives and criminal investigators | $74,300 | 27,700 |
| Commercial pilots | $73,280 | 14,400 |
| Power distributors and dispatchers | $71,690 | 3,600 |
| First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers | $70,060 | 50,300 |
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $69,300 | 150,200 |
| Power plant operators | $66,130 | 12,900 |
| Gaming managers | $65,220 | 1,400 |
| Transportation inspectors | $63,680 | 11,700 |
| Electrical Power-line installers and repairers | $63,250 | 49,900 |
| Postmasters and mail superintendents | $63,050 | 5,000 |
| Subway and streetcar operators | $62,730 | 3,300 |
| Web developers | $62,500 | 50,700 |
| Computer Support Specialist | $62,250 | 88,800 |
| Petroleum pump system operators, refinery, operators, and gaugers | $61,850 | 15,500 |
| Aerospace engineering and operations technicians | $61,530 | 2,100 |
| Gas Plant Operators | $61,140 | 4,700 |
| First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers | $60,250 | 152,000 |
| Plumber | $46,000 | 49,100 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $51,050 | 4,800 |
| Hearing Aid Specialist | $49,600 | 1,600 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $48,200 | 43,500 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technician | $38,970 | 29,000 |
| Massage Therapist | $38,040 | 36,500 |
| Medical Records Technician | $37,110 | 29,000 |
| Maintenance and Repair Worker | $36,630 | 83,500 |
| Optician | $34,840 | 17,800 |
| Medical Secretary | $33,040 | 108,200 |
| Veterinary Technician | $31,800 | 17,900 |
| Medical Assistant | $30,590 | 138,900 |
| Occupational Therapy Aide | $27,800 | 2,700 |
| Physical Therapist Aide | $25,120 | 19,500 |
| Home Health Aide | $21,920 | 348,400 |
| Personal Care Aide | $20,980 | 458,100 |
Subscribe Today
Get automatic updates of blog posts as they are released! Just enter your email in below and click Subscribe.
Meet the Behavior Science Expert
Dr. Tom Brunner is a compassionate guidance counselor, behavioral science expert, and published research scientist. His main mission is to utilize the very best tools to give people uniquely hand tailored, impactful, and durable solutions to their pressing educational or career challenges. View the Overview of his college and career matching process. You may view his portfolio here. He has worked in-the-trenches with all walks of life, from mentoring struggling students to helping gifted/talented adolescents and adults professionals accelerate their development. He is an innovator who has received awards from the Early Career Psychologist Award (by the Arizona Psychological Foundation) as well the Society for Personality Assessment. Dr. Brunner is senior author of a behavioral science measurement tool adapted into 11 languages. He is author of numerous presentations and peer reviewed scientific articles, sometimes alongside leading experts. As a PhD Board Licensed Psychologist, he has served as an expert witness in the legal arena, and has been consulted by local (Tucson Electric Power) and nationwide organizations. To read his bio, click here, read his resume here.
