High-Paying Office Jobs Without a Degree

If you’re fresh out of high school or looking for a career change, you should know that you can get many office jobs without a degree. Employees with a college education might be eligible for higher roles, however, it’s still possible to get office jobs without a degree.

So, all of you job seekers out there, dust off your school diploma and get ready to receive some inspiration for your future career because in this article we’ll be explaining how to get an office job with a GED and where to find high-paying office jobs without a degree.

What Is an Office Job?

An office job is a type of employment in which you’re required to work in an office environment like, for example, an insurance company. Whether you’re part of a small or a large company, you’re usually integrated into a team that interacts with different departments.

Office employees normally work from their desks with computers or smartphones, and are constantly involved in meetings, collaboration projects, and other administrative tasks. Another big part of office jobs is working closely with others and building strong office relations.

What Do Office Jobs Pay?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2020, the mean annual salary of office and administrative support occupations was $42,390. This number varies depending on the field you choose to work in, company policies, your position, and even the state you’re based in.

Office jobs present a range of opportunities inside a company, from entry-level positions to senior positions, all of them with different requirements. This means that it’s expected that the base salary for each person fluctuates in each different situation.

What Skills Do You Need to Land an Office Job?

Basic Computer and Technical Skills

Computer and tech skills are now considered skills that everyone should have in the workplace, regardless of their job. As an office worker, you should be familiar with Microsoft Office’s tools to gather important information, write reports, input data, or record minutes from meetings.

Interpersonal Communication Skills

Your office role might require you to be the center of all communications. As an administrative assistant, for example, you might need to facilitate contact between different departments, clients, and the whole company. This means that you’ll be juggling many office relations and your communication skills need to be on point.

Organizational Skills

If you occupy an assistant position at an office job you might be in charge of organizing the workplace. You’ll have to file, store, and organize different documents, be on top of office supplies, and sometimes take care of confidential information, which requires solid organizational skills.

What Education Do You Need to Get an Office Job?

Office workers have many different responsibilities and the list of requirements varies from employer to employer. Some companies might ask for a four-year college degree or an associate degree, while others will accept high school graduates and provide on-the-job training.

You can also begin to prepare for an office job during high school by taking classes or a certification program that’ll help you improve your typing, computing, and even programming skills. This will improve your chances of getting a high-paying office job without a degree.

Why College Is Not For Everyone

Going to college requires a big financial investment. Considering that there are quite a few jobs that require no experience but pay well, it makes sense that not everyone needs to go to college.

Particularly when it comes to most office jobs, the time someone would spend in college could maybe be put to better use by gaining experience through internships or apprenticeship programs that could help them become an office technician.

Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get an Office job?

Yes, a coding bootcamp can help you get an office job. For example, in database manager, computer security analyst, or programmer jobs, a coding bootcamp might give you an edge over the competition, and help you get an office job.

Some employers will prefer candidates with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related fields, but many companies are now more interested in the skills that you can bring to the table than in your education.

How to Get an Office Job with a GED

Get Basic Training

All office jobs require the same basic skills, so be sure to practice them as often as possible. Some of these skills include word processing, presentations, using spreadsheet programs, and fast and efficient typing. Strong computer skills are a must for all modern office jobs.

Hone Your Tech Skills

Even if you’re not looking to become a programmer, technology is ever-evolving and most companies tend to keep up with them, so you better do the same. Try familiarizing yourself with computers and smartphones, and research the programs most used in office jobs.

Create an Effective Cover Letter and Resume

You might be fresh out of high school and not have an extensive work history to show off, but there are still ways to write an effective entry-level cover letter and resume. Add an updated contact and email address, highlight your most relevant technical and soft skills, and any relevant experience you might have. It’s all about what you have to offer, not about your formal education.

Apply to Office Jobs

Once you’ve created a professional-looking resume you should start applying for jobs. You can read through job descriptions and search for open positions on online job boards, deliver your resume in hand at different companies, or simply reach out via email. The more jobs you apply for, the better your chances of getting hired.

Impress in Your Interviews

When you’re invited for a job interview, you want to be as prepared as possible. You want to show the interviewer that you’re the right person for the job so dress right, be confident in your abilities, research the company you’re interviewing for, and don’t be afraid to ask questions to impress your recruiters.

High-Paying Office Jobs Without a College Degree

Best Office Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree: A Closer Look

Web Developer

Web developers create and maintain websites. Web developers care for a website’s performance, capacity, speed, and the amount of traffic it can handle. They sometimes contribute content to the site and become involved in designing major projects.

Most web developers are self-taught, so employers tend to overlook the education level of their employees and focus on their experience in coding, understanding of programming languages, and overall previous experience. This is an excellent option for coding bootcamp graduates.

Purchasing Agent

Purchasing agents are responsible for keeping tabs on inventory needs and buying different products and services that their companies need. They scout for different suppliers, review the quality of their products, evaluate the prices, and negotiate contracts.

If you have good communication skills and work well with others, this might be the perfect entry-level position for you. You don’t need a four-year degree to be hired and you’ll get in-house training to make sure you learn the basics like how to monitor inventory and negotiate with suppliers.

Legal Assistant

Working in the legal field is possible without having to get a law degree. Legal assistants, also known as paralegals, support lawyers by gathering case facts, researching relevant laws and regulations, drafting several documents, and organizing files. This is one of the highest-paying office jobs without a degree on our list.

There are many ways to become a legal assistant. Some companies will hire candidates without a degree for an entry-level gig, but others will at least require an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies.

Postal Service Worker

Postal service workers, specifically clerks, are responsible for collecting, sorting, and delivering mail correspondence and packages. Some even operate postal equipment and help distribute incoming mail from the postal trucks.

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These office workers get paid a high base salary and they need only a high school diploma to be hired. Providing high-quality service is more important than superior education in this office job.

Financial Clerk

Financial clerks do administrative work for financial companies and many other types of organizations. They keep and update finance records, take care of bills and charges, and carry out transactions.

Getting an employee position as a financial clerk only requires a high school diploma at most companies. Basic training is usually provided during the job, and so is technical training that might be needed for specific functions.

Public Safety Telecommunicator

Public safety telecommunicators are 911 dispatchers who answer emergency and non-emergency calls and provide assistance to whoever needs them. They are required to keep calm under stressful situations, communicate clearly with callers, police, and fire departments, and log critical information to a computer, all at the same time.

This noble career option only requires a high school diploma to be hired. However, you then must pass an exam, a typing test, and a background check. Knowing different languages is also a plus and might get you hired faster.

Human Resources Assistant

Human resources assistants collect and maintain personal information and records on employees, like addresses, employment history, evaluations, criminal records, and more. They are usually responsible for also posting job openings and compiling resumes for review.

There’s no need for postsecondary education to get an office job as a human resources assistant. A high school diploma is enough. However, strong computer skills are necessary, so taking short courses in word processing and spreadsheet applications might prove helpful when getting your job applications ready.

Administrative Assistant

Administrative assistants are responsible for routine and organizational tasks that provide support for other staff members. They take phone calls, schedule meetings, handle email correspondence, perform bookkeeping, edit documents, and more.

High school graduates qualify for entry-level positions, especially if they’re familiarized with word processing and spreadsheets. The rest of the necessary training will be provided during the first weeks of work. If later on, you decide to try out a management position, you might need to acquire a degree in management information.

Customer Service Representative

Customer service representatives deal directly with individual consumers to provide information, answer questions, resolve complaints, and process orders. You’ll find customer service reps across many different industries like financial, telecommunications, and retail.

An entry-level customer service rep job only requires a high school diploma or GED, but you’ll also need to have great communication skills and be good at interacting with many different people.

Receptionist

Receptionists are sometimes considered the face of the company, as they’re the first person that visitors see. They’re responsible for administrative tasks and need to be able to use a variety of office equipment from phones and computers to shredders and printers.

A high school diploma or GED and good communication skills are enough to get an entry-level job as a receptionist. Some employers might prefer candidates with experience with particular computer software, but a four-year or graduate degree is rarely required.

Companies That Offer Entry-Level Office Jobs

• IBM: IBM is an information technology company that offers services and products for a wide variety of tech fields, including machine learning, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. Nearly 100 years ago, the company made a name for itself by creating punch cards.
• Allstate: Allstate is an insurance company. It provides insurance coverage for homes, vehicles, pets, and people. 
• Boeing: Boeing was founded in Seattle, Washington in 1916. It designs, manufactures, and sells aerospace vehicles, including airplanes, rockets, and satellites. The company also manufactures telecommunications equipment.
• Verizon: Verizon is a telecommunications company that provides wireless and Internet services to millions of people in the US. Verizon is the first wireless provider to offer 5G to its customers.
• Accenture: Accenture is a technology consulting company. There are almost 700,000 employees worldwide.

Where to Find Office Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree

LinkedIn

LinkedIn not only allows you to search for suitable job openings, but it also allows recruiters to find your profile if you’re a good fit for the job they’re offering. On LinkedIn, you can search for office jobs that don’t require a degree by filtering your research by job type, location, experience level, and more.

Indeed

Indeed is one of the most popular job listings websites. It pulls job openings from different sites and listings and publicly displays them. One of its new features is a filter that tells you which companies encourage people without college degrees to apply, making it easier to find the perfect entry-level job for you.

SimplyHired

SimplyHired is a job search engine and recruiting software acquired by Indeed. It pulls a large number of job listings from many different sites and it uses data from Glassdoor that enables users to get more detailed information on salaries and cost of living.

Consider a Degree Later in Your Career

Choosing an entry-level office job and work experience over going to college is perfectly fine. However, as you become more experienced and evolve professionally, you may become interested in taking a step further and getting a college degree. If you want to continue working while you go to school, there are plenty of affordable online bachelor’s degree programs.

Now you know of some office jobs that don’t require a degree, so it’s your turn to make a move. Find the area you like the most, get some career advice if needed, hone your skills, create an amazing resume, and apply to as many jobs as you can.

Office Jobs Without a Degree FAQ