Highest-Paying Tech Jobs without Degree and Experience
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Getting into a new industry is daunting, and taking action may seem harsh initially. Finding your way into an unknown space will trigger some anxiety, but rest assured knowing others have successfully walked this path. Speaking about the science computation and IT field, you can search for some of the highest-paying tech jobs without a related degree or experience, whether in entry-level or management roles.
Tech industry outlook
Even though most of the highest-paying occupations across the U.S. belong to the healthcare industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the tech industry has kept up a notorious growth during the past decade, and it’s still projected to have much faster development than the average of other occupations.
Just during 2023, 272,323 new tech positions were projected, leading to an estimated 9.4 million net tech jobs across the U.S.. Still, there is an estimation that there will be nearly 377,000 openings per year, on average, for the rest of the decade. Not bad for an industry that, during its origins, generated a lot of skepticism and misinformation, right?
Despite the doubts raised during its start, the tech industry is just behind healthcare in the top 5 industries across the U.S. With a GDP percentage of 10.5%, tech drives the economy more than industries such as construction, retail, and non-durable manufacturing. The best part about tech lucrativeness is that not only companies are benefiting from the profits, but also employees are getting higher salaries, as they earn up to 85% more than workforces from other industries.
How to get into the tech industry with no experience
The current landscape of the tech and IT industry is far more promising. For all types of job seekers, from eager graduates to career changers, this is a high-demand industry to get into. Not only because of the high-paying tech jobs but also because of its job offer variation, stability, employee development, and remote work programs.
Although many people believe it’s hard to get into this industry because of the technical skills and high demand, there is a wide variety of entry-level positions and high-paying tech jobs where transferable skills and on-the-job training are more than enough to get into the tech industry without a degree and experience.
Although getting into a new industry seems daunting, especially for career changers who already had a senior or management role in their previous craft, you can tackle the challenge more simply. Follow some of these tips to get into the tech industry without experience.
- Review your current skill set.
- Look for tech-specific certifications and training.
- Research for entry-level positions that match your interests.
- Grow your network with professionals from the tech industry.
- Look for crossovers between your current craft and the tech industry.
- Update and send to the companies you’ve sourced your resume.
- Prepare for your interview.
Best tech jobs without a degree or experience
If you have already sourced some of the highest-paying tech jobs or considered the idea of getting into this industry, and the above information has convinced you to do so, here are some entry-level tech jobs that don’t require a degree or related experience in the field.
Many of the highest-paid tech jobs accept certifications, experience in related industries, and a coding portfolio instead of formal computer science-related degrees. Here are some of the best tech jobs you can apply to without a degree or tech background.
Data Analyst
Average salary: $73,823
The data analyst role is among the most solicited and highest-paid tech jobs nowadays. Companies have been looking for professionals who match this profile because they help leadership staff and directive boards better understand an organization’s data, ultimately leading to more effective business decisions.
Although you’ll be most likely starting as a junior data analyst, you’ll still land one of the highest-paying tech jobs out there with no need of having a computer science or IT degree or background, as long as you understand and know the how-to of the algorithms and data analysis tools these professionals use to perform their duty.
Technical Writer
Average salary: $58,615
Another high-paying tech job to get you started in the industry is the technical writer role. They mainly focus on writing instruction manuals, how-to guides, datasheets, informational articles or blog posts, and other supporting documents about a given service or product. Their main objective is to communicate complex and technical information more easily through these materials.
As one of the highest-paying tech jobs with considerable growth expectations, this is an excellent option for writers or professionals with impeccable writing skills, such as copywriters or proofreaders, and knowledge about science or engineering subjects.
Web Content/CMS Manager
Average salary: $76,769
Another of the highest-paying tech jobs that don’t require a degree or experience is the web content manager role, also known as CMS Manager. Usually, they’re responsible for formatting and optimizing all content of a company’s website. Depending on the business, the amount and type of content may vary, from editorial content for media sites to product and service descriptions for e-commerce.
Similar to the project manager role, this is one of the highest-paid tech jobs because it requires significant attention to detail and organizing skills. Another great aspect of this position is you can quickly learn how to use content management systems, like WordPress, thanks to the large amount of online training and educational materials.
Web Editor
Average salary: $57,523
The Web Editor position is another option you can try if you’re more into writing and editing or if, as a recent grad or for another reason, your profile doesn’t qualify for the manager role. Despite the impression of being a minor role, this is one of the best entry-level tech jobs for non-techies.
This is one of the highest-paying tech jobs without experience or degree because of the importance of keeping a company’s catalog and image up to date. Many businesses publish content daily; therefore, they need someone responsible for uploading, formatting, and optimizing content for web visitors. And similar to the Web Content Manager position, you only need to know how to use a CMS.
Web Developer
Average salary: $82,484
As the data analyst option, you’ll start in a junior position; still, this is one of the highest-paying entry-level tech jobs, and it has many career opportunities. Basically, they create the code that powers and maintains websites and web apps.
As long as you have knowledge or certifications in the programming languages they use, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, or Python, you’re good to go and apply for this high-paying tech job. A design background is another aspect that will play in your favor since, as a web developer, you’ll have to interpret and implement the sketches of UX/UI designers.
UX/UI Designers
Average salary: $89,911
Following the same line, this is another superb option for professionals in the design field who want to make a career transition to the tech industry. The UX/UI designer position is among the highest-paying tech jobs because it helps monitor and improve the end-user experience of websites, programs, and applications. This also means they create solutions and optimize a company’s products to gain a competitive advantage in the market.
Digital Marketer
Average salary: $61,632
This role can come in the form of a digital marketing manager or executive. Even though many may argue these high-paying jobs don’t belong to the tech industry, remember this is a technical position as they’re in charge of companies’ customer-facing online presence, managing digital tools, creating reports, optimizing user experience funnels, and identifying trends and emerging technologies.
This case illustrates that to get into certain industries, such as tech and IT, you can still perform tasks from your background that don’t necessarily belong to the field you’re aiming for. So, that’s another option instead of trying a career change. Look for opportunities that allow you to do your craft in an industry with better earnings.
Project Manager
Average salary: $98,104
The project manager position is another role that can get you into the tech industry without necessarily having a degree or experience in the field. As type A organizers, they’re in charge of keeping web development or other tech-related teams on track. In detail, project managers coordinate day-to-day workflows between web designers, developers, and other stakeholders.
Attention to detail and social skills are enough for starting in a Junior Project Manager role. Even though courses and certifications will make your profile more attractive, your interpersonal and organizational proficiency will be the strong side of your case.
In the best-case scenario, your profile fits one of these positions, or you’re already taking the proper training to land one of them. But if you’re still finding out how to transfer your skills or which tech role is the best for you, you should try getting a mentor or working with a recruiter to get some advice on how to draw your new career path.
Contributed by Luis Arellano
