The highest-paying jobs in the UK that don’t require a university degree

While landing a place at university is certainly worth celebrating, if you decide not to go on to further education — whatever the reason — there are still plenty of options available.

As research from online learning platform Laba shows, you don’t have to don a cap and gown to earn an impressive salary.

The majority of the best-paid jobs on the list are in marketing and branding, where formal qualifications are less important than creativity and problem-solving.

This line of work is also particularly results-driven, so employees are judged less on uni grades and more on how they can benefit a company in the here and now.

Eugene Feldman, сo-founder and CEO of Laba, commented: ‘Take a look at the professions that were in demand 50 years ago – many of them don’t exist now.

‘New exciting jobs pop up daily and the rule of 10,000 hours of practice doesn’t work anymore – in today’s fast-paced world, your main skill is the ability to learn and jump on new opportunities.’

Does your job require a degree?

Do you think this is fair?

Have your sayComment Now
He continues: ‘That’s why your job should never become a sentence for life.

If you are unsatisfied with the salary, conditions, or workload, you can and should change it.

‘What’s more, you don’t need to spend years and your life savings on a new degree — sometimes, a quick reskill is enough to nail that job offer.’
So forget the mortarboard; all you need to get into these careers is enthusiasm and a great work ethic.

And if you do a few short courses to build your knowledge base in your chosen field, even better.

The UK’s best-paying jobs that don’t require a degree

Project manager

Average salary: £52,421
A project manager is responsible for planning and overseeing projects within an organisation, coordinating teams and overseeing processes to ensure work is delivered on time and within budget.

• Vacancies that don’t require a degree: 91%


• Open vacancies: 9,768 


• Vacancies offering remote work: 850 

Don't miss our Money tips!

Add us as a Preferred Source

At Metro Money, we're here to bring you all the latest news and advice on personal finance, cost of living, saving and investing.

As part of our vibrant community of highly engaged readers, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories.

Click the button below and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Add us as a Preferred Source

Business analyst

Average salary: £48,821
The main tasks in this role include evaluating processes, uncovering areas in need of improvement and offering guidance on growth opportunities.

• Vacancies that don’t require a degree: 77%


• Open vacancies: 4,242


• Vacancies offering remote work: 500 

Product manager

Average salary: £63,414
Voted one of the UK’s best jobs in 2022, a product manager is one who combines both product planning and marketing duties to support a product or service throughout its life cycle.

• Vacancies that don’t require a degree: 72%


• Open vacancies: 59,861


• Vacancies offering remote work: 4,878

Marketing strategist

Average salary: £81,223
They lead and optimise marketing efforts for company and client campaigns, and collaborate with teams throughout the organisation to execute their vision.

• Vacancies that don’t require a degree: 87%


• Open vacancies: 12,902


• Vacancies offering remote work: 1,158

Brand strategist

Average salary: £60,292
Brand strategists craft a personality for their business and ensure this is communicated effectively across all marketing materials.

• Vacancies that don’t require a degree: 73%


• Open vacancies: 616


• Vacancies offering remote work: 64

This article was first published on August 17, 2023.
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.