$35 an hour works out to about $72,800 a year, roughly what a lot of bachelor's-degree jobs pay, without four years of tuition or a stack of student loans.
The trade-off isn't nothing, though. Instead of a degree, these jobs usually want a license, an apprenticeship, an associate degree, or a few years of proving yourself on the job. The difference is you're getting paid while you build those credentials instead of paying to sit in a classroom.
What they actually ask for varies. Some want steady hands and mechanical instinct. Others want someone calm under pressure who won't panic when a situation turns real. The industries span health care, utilities, manufacturing, aviation, shipping, public safety, and funeral service, which is a wider net than “no degree required” usually implies.
Table of contents
- 1. Diagnostic medical sonographer
- 2. MRI technologist
- 3. Radiation therapist
- 4. Nuclear medicine technologist
- 5. Respiratory therapist
- 6. Cardiac catheterization technologist
- 7. Neurodiagnostics EEG technologist
- 8. Elevator and escalator installer and repairer
- 9. Electrical power-line installer and repairer
- 10. Substation and relay technician
- 11. Controls systems technician
- 12. Senior nondestructive testing technician
- 13. Refrigeration manager
- 14. Avionics technician
- 15. Aerospace engineering and operations technician
- 16. Ship engineer
- 17. Fire inspector and investigator
- 18. Funeral home manager
1. Diagnostic medical sonographer
Diagnostic medical sonographers use ultrasound equipment to create images that help doctors find tumors, organ damage, blood-flow problems, and complications during pregnancy. The work involves much more than pushing buttons. You must position patients correctly, adjust the equipment as you scan, recognize when an image looks unusual, and keep nervous or uncomfortable people calm.
Median pay is about $42.95 per hour. Most sonographers complete a two-year associate degree, although certificate programs are available for people who already have related health care training. Employers commonly prefer professional certification. Jobs are expected to grow much faster than average as medical providers use ultrasound for more types of testing. Sonographers work in hospitals, imaging centers, doctors’ offices, and outpatient clinics. The equipment continues to improve, but a trained person still has to move the probe, judge image quality, watch the patient, and know when more views are needed.
2. MRI technologist
MRI technologists operate scanners that use powerful magnets to produce detailed pictures of the body. They screen patients for metal implants, choose the correct imaging setup, position people inside the machine, and monitor them throughout the exam. That last part matters because patients may be in pain, frightened, unable to stay still, or dealing with claustrophobia.
Hospital MRI technologists earn median pay of roughly $42.84 per hour. The usual entry path is an associate degree followed by certification. Some radiologic technologists move into MRI through a shorter certificate program after gaining imaging experience. Employment for MRI technologists is projected to grow faster than average. Hospitals employ many of them, but jobs also exist in outpatient centers and diagnostic laboratories. Software can help organize scans, yet the technologist remains responsible for safety checks, patient positioning, image quality, and responding when someone becomes ill or panics inside the scanner.
3. Radiation therapist
Radiation therapists deliver carefully measured treatments to people with cancer and other serious illnesses. They operate linear accelerators, position patients with extreme accuracy, check treatment records, and work closely with oncologists and medical dosimetrists. A small positioning mistake can affect healthy tissue, so the job requires focus even when the schedule is busy.
Median pay comes to about $49.03 per hour. An associate degree in radiation therapy can meet the education requirement, although licensing and certification rules also apply. Most jobs are in hospitals, cancer centers, and outpatient treatment facilities. Growth is steady rather than explosive, but cancer treatment remains an essential service and experienced therapists are needed to replace workers who retire or leave the field. This is also deeply personal work. You may see the same patient five days a week for several weeks, notice changes in their condition, and help them get through a difficult course of treatment.
4. Nuclear medicine technologist
Nuclear medicine technologists prepare radioactive medications and give them to patients for imaging or treatment. They then operate specialized cameras that show how organs and tissues are functioning. The job combines patient care, chemistry, radiation safety, equipment operation, and strict recordkeeping. You must calculate and handle each dose correctly while following detailed safety procedures.
Median pay is $46.64 per hour. Most workers enter with a two-year associate degree in nuclear medicine technology. Certification is often expected, and licensing may also be required. Employment is projected to grow at about the average rate, with hospitals and diagnostic laboratories providing most jobs. It is a smaller occupation, so openings may not be available in every community. Still, the training is specialized and the work is tightly controlled. A person must prepare the materials, confirm the patient’s identity, operate the scanner, watch for reactions, and make sure radioactive substances are stored and disposed of safely.
5. Respiratory therapist
Respiratory therapists care for people who are struggling to breathe. They give breathing treatments, test lung function, manage ventilators, clear airways, and respond during medical emergencies. Their patients range from premature babies to older adults with chronic lung disease. The job can move quickly, especially in emergency rooms and intensive care units.
Median pay works out to about $38.68 per hour. You typically need a two-year associate degree in respiratory therapy, professional credentials, and a license. Employment is expected to grow much faster than average as the population ages and more patients need treatment for asthma, pneumonia, heart problems, and chronic lung conditions. Hospitals employ most respiratory therapists, although some work in sleep centers, home health care, and outpatient clinics. Machines can track oxygen levels and suggest settings, but a therapist must assess the whole patient and react when breathing suddenly worsens.
6. Cardiac catheterization technologist
Cardiac catheterization technologists assist with procedures used to find and treat blocked arteries, damaged heart valves, and abnormal heart rhythms. They prepare the procedure room, position patients, operate imaging equipment, monitor vital signs, and help doctors place catheters, stents, and other devices. Some cases are scheduled. Others are emergencies involving a patient who may be having a heart attack.
Average pay is about $41 per hour. A common path is a two-year cardiovascular technology or radiologic technology program, followed by clinical training and professional certification. Some respiratory therapists, paramedics, and imaging technologists move into the cath lab after gaining related experience. Jobs are concentrated in hospitals and large heart centers. Overall cardiovascular technologist employment is expected to remain steady. The role is hard to standardize because every patient’s anatomy and condition are different, and the team must respond immediately when bleeding, rhythm changes, or other complications occur.
7. Neurodiagnostics EEG technologist
EEG technologists attach electrodes to a patient’s scalp and record the brain’s electrical activity. The tests help doctors investigate seizures, sleep problems, brain injuries, infections, and unexplained changes in awareness. Technologists may conduct routine exams or monitor patients for days while trying to capture a medical event.
Average pay for an experienced neurodiagnostics EEG technologist is about $36 per hour. Entry routes include a neurodiagnostic certificate, a hospital training program, or an associate degree. There is also a work-experience pathway for people who start in a supervised department and later qualify for registration. Jobs are found in hospitals, epilepsy monitoring units, sleep centers, and specialty clinics. The work requires patience because children, confused adults, and people with disabilities may have trouble following instructions. The technologist also has to spot equipment problems and dangerous changes in a recording, not simply collect a file for someone else to review.
8. Elevator and escalator installer and repairer
Elevator mechanics install, inspect, maintain, and repair elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifting equipment. They work with motors, cables, brakes, hydraulics, computerized controls, and electrical systems. A service call may involve tracing an intermittent fault in a crowded hospital or repairing a lift that has stopped between floors.
Median pay is $51.24 per hour. A high school diploma is generally enough to apply for an apprenticeship, which combines paid work with technical instruction. Licensing is required in many places. Employment is projected to grow faster than average as buildings add new equipment and older systems need upgrades. The number of apprenticeship openings can be limited, and the work may involve heights, cramped spaces, heavy parts, and emergency callouts. Once you are established, though, the skill set is valuable. Every repair must meet safety codes, and each building may have equipment from a different maker or time period.
9. Electrical power-line installer and repairer
Power-line workers build and repair the systems that carry electricity from generating facilities to homes and businesses. They climb poles and towers, operate bucket trucks, replace damaged lines, and restore service after storms. The work is physically demanding and can be dangerous, especially around live high-voltage equipment.
Median pay is roughly $44.50 per hour before overtime. The usual starting point is a high school diploma followed by technical instruction and extensive paid training. Apprenticeships are common, and a commercial driver’s license may be required. Employment is expected to grow much faster than average as utilities expand capacity, harden systems against severe weather, and replace aging infrastructure. Some jobs require travel or long shifts during outages. This is not work that can be handled from a control room alone. Crews must inspect damage in person, rig heavy equipment, follow detailed switching orders, and make sure a repaired line is safe before power is restored.
10. Substation and relay technician
Substation and relay technicians maintain the protective equipment that keeps electrical systems from destroying themselves when something goes wrong. They test circuit breakers, transformers, control panels, batteries, communication systems, and protective relays. A relay has to recognize a fault and disconnect the correct section of the grid within a fraction of a second.
Technicians working in electric power generation, transmission, and distribution earn an average of about $47.53 per hour. Many enter through a utility apprenticeship, electrical technology program, military training, or experience as an industrial electrician. A bachelor’s degree is not the standard route, but the job requires years of technical learning. Utilities, public power systems, contractors, and large industrial plants employ these workers. Demand is supported by grid expansion, renewable energy connections, and the need to replace old equipment. Testing software can collect readings, but a technician still has to isolate equipment safely, connect test gear, interpret unexpected results, and decide whether a system can return to service.
11. Controls systems technician
Controls systems technicians troubleshoot the sensors, motors, controllers, and electrical equipment that run factories, treatment plants, warehouses, and other large facilities. When a production line stops, they may trace the problem through wiring diagrams, control panels, pneumatic equipment, and programmable controllers until they find the failed part or bad signal.
Average pay is about $45 per hour. Employers often hire people with an industrial maintenance certificate, electrical apprenticeship, associate degree, or military electronics background. You generally build toward this rate after gaining hands-on experience with several types of machinery and control systems. Jobs related to industrial machinery maintenance are projected to grow much faster than average. More automated equipment actually creates additional maintenance work because factories cannot afford long shutdowns. Remote diagnostics may point to the likely fault, but someone on-site must open the cabinet, test the circuit, replace the component, and make sure the machine can run without hurting anyone.
12. Senior nondestructive testing technician
Nondestructive testing technicians inspect metal, welds, pipes, aircraft parts, bridges, tanks, and pressure vessels without cutting them apart. Depending on the job, they may use ultrasound, radiography, magnetic particles, dyes, or electromagnetic testing to find cracks and hidden defects. Their reports help determine whether expensive equipment can remain in service.
Average pay at the senior level is about $43 per hour. This is not a first-year wage. Technicians usually begin as trainees, complete classroom instruction, document supervised work hours, and earn certifications in individual testing methods. A four-year degree is not required, but advancing to higher certification levels takes real experience. Jobs exist in aerospace, energy, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and inspection companies. Safety rules and customer contracts require qualified people to review many critical parts. Equipment can display a reading, but the technician must know whether it represents a dangerous defect, harmless material structure, poor calibration, or a bad test setup.
13. Refrigeration manager
Refrigeration managers oversee the cooling systems used in food plants, refrigerated warehouses, supermarkets, hospitals, and large commercial buildings. They schedule maintenance, respond to breakdowns, manage refrigerant records, supervise technicians, order parts, and make sure equipment meets environmental and safety rules. A failure can spoil a building full of food or shut down an important production line.
Average pay is about $39 per hour. Many managers start as refrigeration or HVAC technicians after completing a trade-school program or apprenticeship. They move up after learning complex systems and showing they can handle emergencies, contractors, budgets, and compliance work. Employment across heating, cooling, and refrigeration service is expected to grow much faster than average. The management role is usually reached through experience rather than a bachelor’s degree. Sensors may warn that temperatures are rising, but a person must decide whether to shut equipment down, move inventory, call additional help, and safely repair a system containing high-pressure refrigerants or ammonia.
14. Avionics technician
Avionics technicians install, test, and repair the electronic systems used for aircraft navigation, communication, weather detection, engine monitoring, and flight control. They read technical manuals, inspect wiring, test instruments, load approved software, and trace faults that may appear only under certain operating conditions.
Median pay is about $39.13 per hour. You can qualify through an approved aviation maintenance program, military training, or enough supervised work experience to meet certification rules. A bachelor’s degree is not required. Employment for avionics technicians is projected to grow much faster than average as aircraft use more complex electronics and employers replace retiring workers. Jobs are available with airlines, aircraft manufacturers, repair stations, cargo carriers, and government contractors. Diagnostic equipment helps narrow down a problem, but technicians remain responsible for inspecting the aircraft, finding damaged components, completing approved repairs, and signing records that confirm the system is safe.
15. Aerospace engineering and operations technician
Aerospace engineering and operations technicians help build and test aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, drones, and related equipment. They may set up wind-tunnel tests, operate simulation equipment, inspect test hardware, collect measurements, maintain laboratory systems, or help engineers investigate why a component failed.
Median pay is about $38.38 per hour. The usual entry route is an associate degree in engineering technology, electronics, robotics, or a related technical subject. Military aerospace experience can also provide a path into the work. Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, although the total number of jobs is fairly small. Employers include aircraft manufacturers, test laboratories, defense contractors, research facilities, and companies that build navigation or control instruments. These technicians work directly with expensive hardware and live testing. They must notice unusual sounds, vibration, heat, or readings and stop a test before equipment is damaged or someone gets hurt.
16. Ship engineer
Ship engineers operate and maintain the engines, generators, pumps, electrical equipment, and mechanical systems aboard cargo ships, ferries, research vessels, tugboats, and other large watercraft. They monitor equipment, supervise engine-room crews, keep maintenance records, and make repairs when the vessel may be days away from a port.
Median pay is about $48.71 per hour. You do not have to earn a bachelor’s degree at a maritime academy. Another route is to start in an engine department, build sea time, complete required training, and earn progressively higher merchant mariner credentials. Employment is projected to grow slowly, but thousands of openings across water transportation are expected each year as workers retire or leave the occupation. The lifestyle can be difficult because some crews spend weeks away from home. In return, experienced engineers have a specialized skill set. When a pump fails or an engine overheats at sea, the crew needs someone who can diagnose and repair it with the tools and parts already on board.
17. Fire inspector and investigator
Fire inspectors examine buildings to make sure exits, alarms, sprinklers, storage areas, and fire-protection systems meet safety codes. Fire investigators work after a blaze, documenting damage, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and determining where and how the fire started. Both roles require careful observation and clear judgment.
Median pay is about $37.53 per hour. Most workers have a high school diploma, fire-service training, and several years of related experience. Some complete a certificate or associate degree in fire science, but a four-year degree is not the normal requirement. Overall employment is projected to grow faster than average. Fire departments, government agencies, insurance organizations, and private inspection firms employ these workers. Cameras, sensors, and computer models can assist with an investigation, but they cannot interview a frightened witness, notice a pattern of burn damage in person, or decide whether a crowded building presents an immediate danger.
18. Funeral home manager
Funeral home managers coordinate services for families after a death. They arrange schedules, supervise employees, handle legal documents, manage facilities, work with cemeteries and crematories, and make sure remains are cared for properly. They also help families make decisions while dealing with grief, money concerns, and tight deadlines.
Median pay is about $36.94 per hour. The usual path includes an associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science, an internship, licensing exams, and several years of experience before moving into management. Requirements vary, but a bachelor’s degree is not generally necessary. Employment in funeral service is projected to grow about as fast as average, with steady replacement needs as current workers retire. Funeral homes, crematories, and cemetery operations employ managers. Scheduling and paperwork can be handled electronically, but families still expect a capable person to explain choices, solve last-minute problems, coordinate ceremonies, and treat their loved one with care.
