Pay and routes
Well-paid jobs you can get without a degree
You do not need a degree to earn more than the UK median of £39,039a year for full-time work. Of the 104 occupation groups in our list that do not normally need a degree, 55 have a median above it in the latest ONS figures. The best paid are air traffic controller and train driver, both reached through licensed training rather than university.
Updated
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, published . Median gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs in the UK, tax year ending 5 April 2025. Figures are for whole SOC 2020 occupation groups and exclude the self-employed.
The best-paid jobs you can train into without a degree
Each of these has an apprenticeship below degree level (level 2 to 5) that leads into the job. Pay is the ONS median for full-time employees in the whole occupation group, not a starting salary. The lower quarter column is closer to what people earn in their first years.
| Job | Median pay | Lower quarter | vs UK median | Way in without a degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air traffic controllerONS group 3511: Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers | £82,746 | £61,511 | +£43,707 | Air traffic controller apprenticeship (level 5, typically 15 months)Also needs: Air traffic controller licence |
| Train driverONS group 8231: Train and tram drivers | £76,327 | £68,924 | +£37,288 | Train driver apprenticeship (level 3, typically 12 months)Also needs: Train driving licence and certificate |
| Accounting technicianONS group 3533: Financial and accounting technicians | £60,575 | £36,907 | +£21,536 | Assistant accountant apprenticeship (level 3, typically 15 months) |
| Project manager, risk manager, clinical trials coordinatorONS group 2440: Business and financial project management professionals | £59,834 | £46,399 | +£20,795 | Project manager: Associate project manager apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| IT project managerONS group 2131: IT project managers | £58,373 | £41,423 | +£19,334 | Associate project manager apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Policy officerONS group 2439: Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c. | £58,341 | £44,939 | +£19,302 | Policy officer apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Business development managerONS group 3556: Sales accounts and business development managers | £57,625 | £43,049 | +£18,586 | Sales executive apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Railway signallerONS group 8234: Rail transport operatives | £57,088 | £42,815 | +£18,049 | Rail infrastructure operator apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months) |
| Software developer, web developer, e-learning developer, embedded software engineerONS group 2134: Programmers and software development professionals | £56,914 | £42,289 | +£17,875 | Software developer, web developer: Software development technician apprenticeship (level 3, typically 18 months)E-learning developer: Digital learning designer apprenticeship (level 5, typically 24 months) |
| Cyber security analystONS group 2135: Cyber security professionals | £54,647 | £42,761 | +£15,608 | Cyber security technologist (2021) apprenticeship (level 4, typically 24 months) |
| Business analyst, management consultant, risk analystONS group 2431: Management consultants and business analysts | £53,295 | £40,202 | +£14,256 | Business analyst: Business analyst apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months)Management consultant: Junior management consultant apprenticeship (level 4, typically 24 months) |
| Financial adviser, mortgage adviserONS group 2422: Finance and investment analysts and advisers | £50,330 | £36,872 | +£11,291 | Financial adviser: Paraplanner and financial planner apprenticeship (level 4, typically 24 months)Mortgage adviser: Mortgage adviser apprenticeship (level 3, typically 12 months) |
| Compliance officerONS group 2482: Quality assurance and regulatory professionals | £50,083 | £37,854 | +£11,044 | Compliance and risk officer apprenticeship (level 3, typically 15 months) |
| AccountantONS group 2421: Chartered and certified accountants | £50,062 | £38,696 | +£11,023 | Professional accounting technician apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Network engineerONS group 2137: IT network professionals | £48,907 | £40,104 | +£9,868 | Network engineer apprenticeship (level 4, typically 24 months) |
| Manufacturing engineerONS group 2125: Production and process engineers | £47,946 | £39,642 | +£8,907 | Engineering manufacturing technician apprenticeship (level 4, typically 42 months) |
| Software testerONS group 2136: IT quality and testing professionals | £47,118 | £36,725 | +£8,079 | Software tester apprenticeship (level 4, typically 24 months) |
| School business managerONS group 2322: Education managers | £46,581 | £36,075 | +£7,542 | School business professional apprenticeship (level 4, typically 18 months) |
| Crane driverONS group 8221: Crane drivers | £46,463 | £38,942 | +£7,424 | Lifting technician apprenticeship (level 2, typically 24 months)Also needs: CPCS card |
| Health and safety adviserONS group 3582: Health and safety managers and officers | £46,444 | £37,925 | +£7,405 | Safety, health and environment technician apprenticeship (level 3, typically 24 months) |
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, published . Median gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs in the UK, tax year ending 5 April 2025. Figures are for whole SOC 2020 occupation groups and exclude the self-employed.
Apprenticeships: Skills England, apprenticeship standards (approved for delivery). Checked 28 September 2026. Typical length is the duration Skills England gives for each standard. Apprenticeship standards apply in England.
How the routes in work
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a paid job with training built in. According to GOV.UK, you need to be 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education, and at least 20% of your working hours go on training. There is no upper age limit on that page, and apprenticeships run from 8 months to 6 years. Levels 2 and 3 are equivalent to GCSEs and A levels; levels 4 and 5 sit above A level but below a degree.
The catch for career changers is money. The apprentice minimum wage is £8.00 an hour from April 2026 for anyone in the first year of an apprenticeship (or under 19), compared with £12.71 for workers aged 21 and over. Some employers pay apprentices well above the minimum; check the advert before you apply.
Licences and industry cards
Several of the best-paid routes depend on a licence rather than a qualification: train drivers need a licence and certificate regulated by the Office of Rail and Road, air traffic controllers need a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, and lorry drivers need the right driving licence and a Driver CPC. The ONS description of these jobs notes the hurdles: train driver entrants must pass a series of tests and a medical examination, and air traffic controller training lasts 74 weeks, with a medical and normal colour vision required.
Moving across from related work
Some of these jobs can be reached by moving sideways inside an employer, for example from a customer service role into training, or from a station role into a conductor or driver vacancy. If you already work for a large employer, ask about internal routes before you apply elsewhere.
Senior roles people reach without a degree
These pay well above the UK median but are rarely a first job. People usually get there through experience, internal promotion or professional qualifications taken while working. The entry notes are the ONS's own description of how people get into each group.
| Job | Median pay | How ONS says people get in |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare commissioning manager, health service managerONS group 1171: Health services and public health managers and directors | £61,573 | Entrants require a degree or equivalent qualification, a professional qualification and/or relevant experience. Off and on-the-job training is provided through management training schemes. The nature of schemes varies between regions and occupational areas. |
| Electrical engineerONS group 2123: Electrical engineers | £60,303 | Electrical engineers usually possess an accredited university degree or equivalent qualification. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is attainable. |
| Production managerONS group 1121: Production managers and directors in manufacturing | £58,640 | There are no pre-set entry standards. Entry is possible with either a degree or equivalent qualification, and/or relevant experience. On-the-job training is provided, and professional qualifications are available, as are S/NVQs in Management at levels 3 to 5. |
| Purchasing managerONS group 1134: Purchasing managers and directors | £58,005 | Although not restricted to a particular qualification, entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification but is also possible with A levels/H grades, a BTEC/SQA award, S/NVQs at level 3 or above, or an apprenticeship. |
| HR manager, learning and development managerONS group 1136: Human resource managers and directors | £57,529 | There are no pre-set entry standards, although entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification. Relevant experience is important and internal promotion to management is possible. |
| Construction managerONS group 1122: Production managers and directors in construction | £56,021 | There are no pre-set entry standards. Entry is possible with either a degree or equivalent qualification and/or relevant experience, via apprenticeships or S/NVQs in Management at levels 3 to 5. |
| Marketing managerONS group 2432: Marketing and commercial managers | £53,703 | There are no pre-set academic entry requirements. A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant field may be advantageous and significant relevant experience is usually required. |
| Electronics engineerONS group 2124: Electronics engineers (professional) | £52,518 | Professional electronics engineers usually possess an accredited university degree or equivalent qualification. |
| Mechanical engineerONS group 2122: Mechanical engineers (professional) | £51,110 | Professional mechanical engineers usually possess an accredited university degree. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is attainable. |
| Tax adviserONS group 2423: Taxation experts | £49,850 | Entry is possible with GCSEs/S grades or a BTEC/ SQA award, although many entrants possess a degree or equivalent qualification. A professional qualification is required in either accountancy or taxation. |
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, published . Median gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs in the UK, tax year ending 5 April 2025. Figures are for whole SOC 2020 occupation groups and exclude the self-employed.
Entry routes: ONS, SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups. Contains public sector information from ONS SOC 2020 Volume 1 licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
What the figures can and cannot tell you
- They are medians for whole occupation groups. Half of full-time employees in the group earn more and half earn less. ONS publishes pay by four-digit Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) group, so a figure can cover several job titles.
- They are for the tax year ending 5 April 2025, published by ONS on 23 October 2025. ONS publishes the 2026 figures on 22 October 2026, and this page will be updated then.
- They leave out the self-employed and anyone who has been in their job for less than a year, so they say nothing about new starters or people running their own business.
- Some figures are missing because ONS does not publish estimates it considers unreliable. Police officers and driving instructors are examples: we show no pay for them rather than guess.
- “No degree needed” is our judgement from official sources, based on the entry routes ONS and the National Careers Service describe. Employers can still ask for a degree.
Common questions
What is the highest-paid job you can get without a degree in the UK?
Among the 136 jobs in our list that do not normally need a degree, the best paid by ONS median full-time pay in 2025 are air traffic controller (£82,746) and train driver (£76,327). The ONS unit group combines aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers, so the pay figure covers both. Both need a licence, and the apprenticeships that lead into them last 15 and 12 months.
Can I start an apprenticeship as an adult?
Yes. GOV.UK says you need to be 16 or over, living in England and not in full-time education, and it lists no upper age limit. Apprenticeships last from 8 months to 6 years depending on the type and level, and you are paid while you train.
How much do apprentices earn?
From April 2026 the apprentice minimum wage is £8.00 an hour. It applies if you are under 19, or 19 or over and in the first year of your apprenticeship. After that you are entitled to the minimum wage for your age: £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over. Many employers pay more than the minimum, but not all.
Why is the median pay higher than what a new starter earns?
The ONS median covers everyone in that job, most of whom have years of experience. A new starter or apprentice usually earns less. The lower quarter figure in the table (the pay that a quarter of full-time employees earn less than) is a more realistic guide to early pay.
Do self-employed tradespeople earn more than these figures?
The ONS survey behind these figures (ASHE) covers employees only, so it cannot tell you what self-employed electricians, plumbers or other trades earn. Treat any figure for self-employed earnings you see elsewhere with care unless it names its source.
Looking for something specific? Our guides for people leaving teaching, retail and the armed forces show where people in those jobs usually go next.