Most postings that say "bachelor's degree required" do not require one. The line is a template, and the hire is often someone without the degree who had the thing the line was standing in for. Some roles do require one, by law or by licence, and the posting says so in a different voice. The trick is telling the two apart, and then applying to the first kind with proof in place of the paper. Our wages page shows what the roles pay, and many of the well-paid ones were never degree roles.
Key points
- A degree line in a requirements list is a template line. A degree line in the first paragraph, or a licence, is real.
- Three routes replace the degree: a licence, an apprenticeship, or proof of the work.
- The best-paid non-degree roles are in trades, operations, sales, support and technology. Our wages page has the numbers by occupation.
- "Or equivalent experience" means apply.
- Do not lie about a degree. It is the one thing a background check always finds.
Reading the degree line
| Where the degree appears | What it means | Apply? |
|---|---|---|
| In the requirements list, with "or equivalent experience" | Template. The manager will read the work. | Yes |
| In the requirements list, alone | Template, probably. The hiring system sometimes filters on it. | Yes, and answer the form question honestly |
| In the first paragraph, as part of the job | The role is credentialed, or the employer is strict about it. | Only with the credential |
| As a named licence or registration | Required by law. | Only with the licence |
The hiring system is the other reader. Some employers set a knockout question: do you have a bachelor's degree, yes or no. A no ends the application before a person sees it. That is a reason to answer the question truthfully and to spend the tailoring hour on employers who do not ask it.
A posting that says "or equivalent" has already told you the degree is not the job.
The roles that pay
Our wages page lists median pay by occupation, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the BLS also records the typical education for entry. Filter to roles where the typical entry is a high school diploma, a certificate or an associate degree, and the well-paid ones cluster in five groups.
- Skilled trades. Electricians, plumbers, elevator mechanics, HVAC technicians. Licensed, apprenticed, and paid above the national median by mid-career.
- Operations and logistics. Dispatch, warehouse management, fleet, procurement. Promoted from within more than hired from outside.
- Sales. Account executives in software and in industrial sales are hired on results and paid on them. A degree is not on the scoreboard.
- Support and success. Customer support leads, technical support, customer success. The route into software companies that does not go through a degree.
- Technology, some of it. Network and systems administration, IT support, web development at small companies, quality assurance. Certifications and a portfolio stand in for the degree, and the guide on a technical resume has the layout.
The numbers move, and the wages page moves with them. Check the median for the title in your place before you set the floor.
The three routes
A licence
Trades, healthcare support, commercial driving, real estate and finance roles have a licence that is the real requirement. The licence takes months, not years, and the posting lists it by name. The first job is the one that gets the licence, and that job is often paid.
An apprenticeship
Paid training with a job at the end. Common in the trades, growing in technology, logistics and healthcare. The US Department of Labor keeps a registry of them, and they are posted like jobs. Set an alert for "apprentice" with the field.
Proof of the work
For the roles with no licence, proof is the route: a project with users, a volunteer role, a certification the field respects. The guide on getting a job with no experience has the eight week version. The resume leads with it, and the education section says what it says.
The resume and the form
On the resume, the education section is short and honest. A diploma, a certificate, a course with a date. Do not pad it, and do not leave it out. A missing education section reads as a question.
On the hiring system's form, answer the degree question as asked. A lie here is the one thing a background check finds every time, because degrees are verified against a national clearinghouse, and the offer is withdrawn when it does.
Questions
Is a bootcamp a degree?
No, and nobody thinks it is. It is a certificate with a portfolio attached. Put the portfolio first and the certificate in education.
What about a degree I started and did not finish?
List it as coursework, with the subject and the years, and no "incomplete". "Computer science coursework, 2019 to 2021" is true and reads fine.
Do remote roles care less about degrees?
Not as a rule. They care about the same proof, and they are more often at companies that filter by form question. Check the application for a knockout question before you spend the hour.
Does the lack of a degree cap my pay?
The data says it lowers the median across all workers, and that it matters less inside a field than between fields. A licensed electrician out-earns most graduates. A support lead who moves into product does too. Pick the field, then the pay follows the work.
Do I go back and get one?
That is a five year question, and this is a search guide. If a role you want has the degree in the first paragraph, and the licence route does not exist, the degree is the route. Most roles are not that one.