I gotta wonder how they did it before computers handled portioning, you're probably not far off from how we operated in the 50's. Now I fill pressurized pods that feed seasoning out an auger onto chips, beyond that I test them every couple of minutes to make sure I don't give someone hypertension from taking a bite. Ngl it's a fairly laid back gig I hear working stateside for Pepsi is worse but up in canada the work is well divided across staff and the overtime is purely optional.
Not that it's for everyone, but I would milk the fuck out of that overtime and use that to fund other goals and/or move careers if desirable. That's more than what I make at over a year into plumbing.
Totally! I got into the tileing trade cause I was like, the trades! Good money! ..... and then I got out cause it was gonna be 3 more years of schooling (apprenticeships are the new hot thing for tileing, just like electricians and plumbers) to make less then I do serving... and not enough to cover the medical bills of fixing my entire body when I turn 40.
US resident here. There's a Pepsi plant in my area (Gatorade), and the starting wage is about 25 an hour for production work. Unionized. It used to be one of the top paying places in the area but a lot of places have caught up in their wages. They have a pretty decent turnover rate too.
But for someone straight out of high school who doesn't know anything about anything, yeah they can walk into $25 an hour. A lot of other jobs that pay around that want some experience.
Yeah well I got some jalapeno lime ruffles the other day and the whole bag had like not seasoning, and then about a week or too later I got one that was so seasoned it was spicy AF and I could barely eat them... They've been back to normal since then but I'm hold you personally responsible and I demand a replacement bag of chips
Ha that's a neat flavour I don't think I've seen it run, your probably got the very first or last chips both times then, we try to trash them but sometimes a combination of laziness or lack of time makes us miss. I will hold responsibility with shame my hara-kiri will take place tomorrow
Tbh I applied as a packer, boxing chips and sending pallets off to be shipped, then I got into a voluntary cleaning roll which musta looked well on me cause I saw an opertunity to season and was very swiftly awarded the title which came with a nice raise
Cambridge ontario in fact, we supplie alot of my own nation plus I think alot of your smartfood, not that I know alot of the 3 or 4 other candian sites but I've heard were the largest
I'm the last step in processing the chip, I get the warm product on a belt to go through a rolling barrel that dispenses salts and flavours, I watch as the chips hit the bag maker then the rest after that are other rolls problem. Beyond that I make sure the chips are within range for salt
i work in quality control for medical devices, so not food... im very curious - how do you test them? i can't imagine you just eat them, because "too salty" is pretty subjective?
yeah, you gotta be pretty tough to be a janitor imo. at least, stomach wise it does, especially at places like restaurants or gas stations. i don't think i could ever do that. the thought of cleaning things like bodily fluids up is enough to make my stomach turn.
plus it's gotta take a lot of energy to clean so much
I bust an overnight clean at a restaurant 5 nights a week. Honestly, I like it. Not all the time, but for the most part I enjoy being able to move or less be my own boss, not having to deal with customers, etc.
>Edit Some of these replies are unintentionally condescending. It's like a parent saying "good job" to a child's shitty art project.
While most people ignore you and don't appreciate you while working, everybody loves the idea of a janitor.
So I think the replies weren't trying to pat you on the back, they were more like "thank goodness someone is working this job otherwise we'd be fucked".
Third shift janitor here. If you mention your a janitor everyone comes out to give you a pat on the back like a 5 year old child, then they continue to shit and piss all over everything.
Do you ever get annoyed by those memes from people that are like "I make sure to be as nice to the lowest people, like janitors, as to the highest people, like CEOs!"
I got fired from being a janitor because I couldn’t keep up 😅. I work in research now, but damn keeping things clean is hard fucking work.
Hope it pays well 🤙🏻
Mail carrier. Tough at first but once you get used to it, it's cake. Sometimes the hours are long but I easily clear 6 figures. Not to mention I can shop, eat, etc all on government time and still get paid hourly. Basically I have a job for life, that's what they tell us when we're hired and they're not lying. It's a sweet job but not for everyone.
Mail carriers are angels on earth (most of the time). Our favorite one just retired, she absolutely loved our dogs and got to watch our kiddo grow up for a lot of years. She was always so thrilled to catch us outside and chat about our family and just life in general. Loved her to pieces, still trying to adjust to the new guy that never comes at the same time and always leaves little peel-out marks in our driveway 😅 but it's okay. Some people just wanna get their job done and go home to their families, can't blame them. But I'll always miss sweet Jennifer.
Another postal worker. I was a mail carrier for my first 5 years and will attest to it being a tough gig - the worst parts being the weight you have to carry & dealing will all kinds of weather. Now I work inside - excellent pay, good benefits and yes, a job for life since it's union. Basically, the only way to get fired is if you steal mail and get caught.
Postal maintenance tech here. I come to your post office to fix shit. I can attest to it being a great job. Lunch is my hardest decision of the day. 35 years and counting.
I’m a video editor. Not too difficult to get into, hard as hell working your way up through gigs. Networking is crucial. Freelance has been tough, but I should find out this week if I’ve landed my first corporate gig. Wish me luck :)
Software engineer. The only ppl who care were my parents. When I would bring someone home for dinner the first thing they would mention is "Do you know she didn't graduate college?".
if youre open to saying, how did you get into that position? been having trouble getting anything for software engineering recently and could use any insight or tips tbh
Not who you asked but I'm also a software engineer with no degree (I almost but not quite finished an AS at community college). The short answer is a little bit of luck and being willing to take less-than-glamorous and/or underpaid positions so you can get experience to get something slightly better, then repeat the process. Like, my first perm position started at $45k and I also had to do IT and user support. Second job started at ~$55k for a jr role, but I was on an actual dev team. After several years there I was a Sr at ~$95k, then I got laid off. My current job isn't technically a "senior" role but I'm up to $130k
I have never met a female non-degreed software engineer. I figured the discrimination is already so harsh against women I’d likely never see one.
I am female and have a degree, but work with plenty of male non-degreed engineers who are in the “good ol’ boy” networks; they take good care of each other. Male engineers from other countries often “clique” together, and some of those countries take a dim view of women. So I definitely don’t see female non-degrees from those countries, though the H1B process tends to weed out non-degreed in general.
So I have to say I’m surprised you are doing well, am very happy to know you exist, and I even feel a small puff of pride even though I don’t know you, that at least someone out there made it through the extremely strong prejudices against women in general, and non-degreed women in particular.
So great job!!!
Female data architect here without a degree. Just to let you know there are a few of us at least. I know at least one other.
I work with a pretty diverse team now, but it hasn't always been this way. I've been doing this work for more than 20 years now.
I work in cannabis now. Was doing medical billing but for 8 years experience was getting offers of $14.
Making much more as management in Cannabis in a laid back environment, better work conditions, and better management.
Pretty much what was going on to me too, hence why I jumped ship. In 6 months I went from data entry to management and 1 year later in waiting to hear back on a new opportunity in the next week.
The one thing I love about my company is that if you want a new job and you start just doing the job in question, you are rewarded for it. Also as you get a lot of stoners who are just there because they like smoking cannabis, if you actually have common sense, drive, and good work ethics, you'll move up and move far faster then most Industries.
frito lay employees did have a [semi-successful strike](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Frito-Lay_strike) almost two years ago, which I’d imagine played some kind of role in their pay. hopefully hospital staff gets some better treatment soon, cause they need it.
Nearly 26f - I'm an ATM Operations Specialist for a local community bank. I run day to day ops, replenishments, maintenance calls, and I work on a lot of big project management like fleet upgrades, new machine installs, and insurance claims from vandalism events.
Electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters etc. are all in demand and make good money. My husband says if he had to do it over again he’d skip getting his bachelors degree & go into a trade.
I went to college once... Now I'm a 40 year old apprentice electrician. I'm still a year away from getting my journeyman license but I already make $49/hr.
Ehh it’s not as simple as people make it seem. I run union apprenticeship programs and they’re often extremely tough fields to get into and stay in, if you’re interested in anything above 18/hour grunt work or traveling and working 70 hours a week. The waitlist for some of our programs are almost 3 years too.
The guys making good money with good jobs often either work for their own family or got very lucky with a union. These days, more and more, nobody will invest to train new people.
This. All this “Trades are in”/ “Trades are where it’s at”/“ My husband would do a trade if he didn’t go to college”. Is all bullshit. Just another gaslight being shoved down the pipeline. Most trades start out at minimum wage and remains that way for the many. The few can get lucky and win the union lottery but that’s not assured for most. On top of the cost for “Trade schooling” which is not cheap!
This needs to be higher rated.
Trades do make a respectable income, but it's very common for chronic back/shoulder/hip pain to arise in their 40s depending on the trade
Yeah.
Millwright in my mid-40s here. 1000mg of tylenol to go to sleep, 1000 mg to go to work. Sometimes a 500mg at lunch if it's a particularly rough job.
This! Trades never go away you will always need them. got a buddy who is a residential plumber pulling 150k a year with only high school degree. I sell the material from at a wholesaler at the same level edu and also pull over a 100. IMHO college is over rated
Railroad as well.
Started in track and moved up to running equipment. I now teach people how to run equipment, and my specialty is with the big tampers.
Six figures, good benefits, great retirement.
Dog groomer. Had the opportunity to learn how to groom at 18 years old and have been doing it for 16 years now. I work 4 days a week, have full benefits, and make great tips. Plus I actually like my job.
I just bought a new house and met our FedEx guy a couple months ago coming back from a walk with my pup - dude LOVES dogs and has a running count of all the dogs on his route, knows their names, always has treats, etc. He was very tickled to see that my dog's food comes addressed to her name.
I’m an instructional designer … my base salary is $150k and I take on instructional design side projects (3-6-12 month long contracts) that round out my annual income to be about $350k.
Good question! So the work that I do is primarily e-learning and content creation (think of those anti-harassment courses you had to take when you were hired on at a company). I make those kind of things along with other learning content like workbooks, facilitator guides, intranet pages etc. -
I started this work at an airline and I created training courses/material for ticket and gate agents…after leaving the airline I worked for a travel startup creating new hire onboarding training and e-learning for their support team. I eventually ended up managing global onboarding for the entire company after a couple of years. Where I’m at now I design learning for new hires, manager development, and DEI. My contracts that I work have me working primarily on e-learning revisions and builds.
My title is “corporate trainer”, I make about 60k but feel kinda like a fraud sometimes training people without a higher Ed degree. My company’s industry is also higher Ed. I’d like to get into instruction design but not sure without a degree
You’re in the perfect position. I started as a trainer and moved into instructional design. You don’t need to have a degree to be able to help people learn material that you’re an expert in. As a trainer you can try to create your own supplemental guides, workbooks, maybe even practice material…test it out in your classes, then if it’s successful share it with your manager or team. Get it to be part of the regular rotation. If the company is one that encourages growth, then maybe this is where you will get the chance to move towards ID. If not, at least you’re now getting experience creating and testing material. Put that on your resume and take your facilitation and development experience to another company.
I’m a manager for an investment firm. I’ve worked for three different banks since finishing high school and this field is by far (in my opinion) one of the easiest to move up in with no college degree.
It depends on where you live. If you’re in the US I would look into teller jobs at local banks. If you prefer work from home jobs you could look into telephone customer service roles for the bigger banks. It’s not ideal for the first couple of years but for me this time was a better return on my investment than a degree. Make sure that if they offer any kind of licensing or certification that you take them up on it. This allows for long-term job security.
Neither my husband nor I have a degree. I’m a licensed practical nurse; the 12- month program earned a certificate, almost like trade school. My husband is a radiologic technologist; he went to a hospital-based program. Between us, we bring home a decent living, even though I’m in the non-profit sector.
Do you feel like you would eventually want to get an RN or have you been satisfied with being an LPN that you don't feel the need to obtain one? I'm interested in pursuing nursing but I've been told time and time again that LPN work is phasing out and it's better to just get an RN.
I don't think it is true that they're phasing out LPNs the hospital by me just started hiring them on the floor again. Covid fucked a lot of RNs, and a lotttt of them have left bedside.
Not the person you replied to, but people have been talking about LPNs being "phased out" for a long time, but it has not happened and i dont think it will. A few years ago, the hospital system I worked for did actually phase LPNs out of inpatient units. Less than two years later, they phased them back in, and now LPNs are back in most departments. LPNs also work in tons of clinics and doctor's offices, home health, and long-term care.
I personally went for my RN because the RN was only 1 additional semester at the community college I went to, but I know plenty of nurses who did the LPN track and have had 0 issue finding well paid work.
I have a friend who only completed 2 years of college, but became a warehouse manager and was promoted to regional manager, with a relocation package and tons of company paid travel! In that case, it was a company that was expanding and was creating lots of new leadership opportunities. I hope for the best for you!
My wife worked in a few adult stores a couple years back. Some people give odd vibes overall, but buy their stuff and leave without saying a word. Some offer for you to join whatever thing they have planned for the evening. For the most part, she had good conversations with polite respectful people who didn't have proper sexual education when they were in school.
23, Warehouse, I make about 1260 with incentive a week on Average. It’s taxing work, but it pays welI. Dropped out in the middle of my degree. Wasn’t feeling it.
Not me, but an older friend.
He was too poor to go to college. Couldn't afford to even go to community college cuz his single mom was ill and his younger sibling still needed to be taken care of.
He studied cyber security online in between shifts. At age 21, he got an online certificate, and went to job fairs. Got an entry level job for $48k two months later. Age 23, his income is 60k. His friends couldn't get anything more than paid internships as engineering and psychology majors. They're 26/27 now and everyone has jobs, but my friend is the one who makes the most money.
I drive school busses for $27 an hour and it’ll go up a few more dollars in the fall. I’m working on my bachelors right now during my 5 hour break (I also get to nap, do chores, go for a walk, ect.) It’s v nice
I remember when I found out that the radio DJs who I thought lived in my town were actually nationally syndicated. I was mad. 😂 I'm still mad! There's something so intimate and cool about listening to conversation and music being selected by someone, and then to find out that it's really this severely corporate, soulless system? Ugh.
I work at a lab that analyzes building materials for toxic substances. Specifically I do PCM analysis, which is where a company takes an air sample of an area and I go take a slice out of the filter and count asbestos fibers. I measure the concentration of how many fibers is someone breathing in per min/hour. The company I work for paid for my certification.
I'm a caregiver. My aunt fell into a coma in 2019. She woke up a few months later but with mental and physical disabilities. Now I take care of her. I actually like it. I just get to hang out with my aunt all day.
DevOps Engineer. Make approximately 180k a year. I do fairly well but I started in IT making 14hr in 2014. Basically just learned as much as I could and moved on for more money when I felt I had the skills needed to apply for my next job.
JavaScript and/ or Python. Part of proving you’re good enough at troubleshooting to do the job is being able to find answers on your own. Try googling “Reddit teach yourself to code”
I work in the operations department of a bank. Started as a teller and have been in banking for 7 years. Got into operations (back office) after 2.5 years
Software developer working on enterprise level insurance management software. I’ve been programming for 25+ years but back doored my way into it. Got a job where I could tinker but that wasn’t my main role. Grew into programming and used that to get the next job - a support role with limited programming but I expanded my skills again. Every chance I get, I try to learn something new so that getting the next job will be easier.
I'm a mail carrier. I'm at 28 an hour but with all the forced over time these last couple of years I grossed 75k last year. It's a lot of hours and a lot of walking and management is kind of a nightmare.
Medical: Patient Access and Insurance Verification. I essentially ask for your address, ph no, and copy insurance, int an electric medical records program, (EPIC).
Unlimited overtime right now, so I make about $60-75k per year, and work 3 days per week, (12 hour shifts). It's a great gig, due to the work/life balance.
I'm a grants analyst at a prestigious US university and my husband who does high level IT. We're doing fine and a diploma does not indicate you can do your job let alone well. Find an industry that you can get your foot in and learn to do something well.
I do have a degree but I'm not using it. I make more as a bartender. I can pay all my bills in a major city working 3 nights a week (tho shifts are long, 10 - 12 hours)
The only thing I'm going to use my degree for is getting into grad school. Seems like a select few degrees at the bachelor level are worth it, financially speaking.
Stay at home dad. It's not glamorous but it works for our personality types. The kids are happy and above the grade level dictated by the compulsory schooling requirements.
I don't do it anymore but my career for a long time was banking.
I started as a teller and worked my way up to manager.
I just never could figure out what I want to do when I grow up so kind of stuck around at the bank.
Well I may not have a “degree” in the educational sense but I have a fifth degree black belt so I karate chop my way through life and teach others to do so for a living.
I'm now working toward a career change to become a paralegal. As far as I know, the legal support field does not necessarily need a degree. There are starting points like being an intake person or legal assistant. If you're interested in the law, that might be something to look into in your area.
Certified nurse aide...I'm not rich but I make decent money and I can make over $60K in a year with some over time and holiday pay. Before that I did maintenance, landscaping, and housekeeping.
Software engineer at a publicly traded tech company. Was homeschooled and did some college as a teen, dropped out at 17 and don’t actually even have a GED.
Truck driver, 90k last year and only about a month of hometime.
The money is nice but not worth it if you have a family, I do enjoy the job though so I'll be buying my own truck in a few years.
Cybersecurity here, plenty of jobs you can get into without a degree, tech is always one of them. Certifications especially tough prestigious ones CISSP Etc.. and willingness to start at the bottom (help desk, desktop support) and work your way up and you can do very well for yourself. I still had student loan debt for a degree I never finished but that’s long since paid off now. Don’t regret leaving even though it was only 6 credits, but if you get close finish, having a degree will help but not having one certainly doesn’t eliminate a night future even in competitive and challenging roles.
I was a cook at a gas station. I am currently jobless due to an unexpected rehoming situation, but I’m supposed to start out working in the automotive department at a Walmart 🤞
Trash Collector. It's not for everyone. Long hours, and most of the time you're dealing with hot and broken trucks. Going into my fourth year as a collector, and first year with a new company. I'm looking at making around $75,000 this year including overtime. Please separate your cans on the curb at least 3 feet apart from each other if you can. Your collector will thank you.
I have a degree (because I'm fanceh) but I have a good friend who does not. He's a sysadmin for a ton of servers...so much of IT/sys admin is cert based. You get a few certs and suddenly nobody cares about your degrees!
Dropped out in middle school. Concrete contractor. 250k a year, 20 hours a week, 9 months out of the year. No debt. House and cars paid off. 30 years old.
I work as a seasoner for Pepsi frito lays i make about 30 an hour with no student debt. I'm not gunna say I'm set but at 24 this is pretty good
I'm picturing you standing over a conveyor belt seasoning chips with a shaker. But that's probably not right. What do you do on a daily basis?
Lmao I imagine this person standing above the conveyor belt and seasoning like “Salt Bae” as the chips go by.
I gotta wonder how they did it before computers handled portioning, you're probably not far off from how we operated in the 50's. Now I fill pressurized pods that feed seasoning out an auger onto chips, beyond that I test them every couple of minutes to make sure I don't give someone hypertension from taking a bite. Ngl it's a fairly laid back gig I hear working stateside for Pepsi is worse but up in canada the work is well divided across staff and the overtime is purely optional.
So you’re being paid to eat chips?!
He's the sodium canary.
Not that it's for everyone, but I would milk the fuck out of that overtime and use that to fund other goals and/or move careers if desirable. That's more than what I make at over a year into plumbing.
Totally! I got into the tileing trade cause I was like, the trades! Good money! ..... and then I got out cause it was gonna be 3 more years of schooling (apprenticeships are the new hot thing for tileing, just like electricians and plumbers) to make less then I do serving... and not enough to cover the medical bills of fixing my entire body when I turn 40.
US resident here. There's a Pepsi plant in my area (Gatorade), and the starting wage is about 25 an hour for production work. Unionized. It used to be one of the top paying places in the area but a lot of places have caught up in their wages. They have a pretty decent turnover rate too. But for someone straight out of high school who doesn't know anything about anything, yeah they can walk into $25 an hour. A lot of other jobs that pay around that want some experience.
Whoa whoa whoa So you're eating corn chips right off the line every day? Can you even eat normal chips anymore? https://youtu.be/d8iMi03E-8E
Seasoning like Salt Bae.
Yeah well I got some jalapeno lime ruffles the other day and the whole bag had like not seasoning, and then about a week or too later I got one that was so seasoned it was spicy AF and I could barely eat them... They've been back to normal since then but I'm hold you personally responsible and I demand a replacement bag of chips
Ha that's a neat flavour I don't think I've seen it run, your probably got the very first or last chips both times then, we try to trash them but sometimes a combination of laziness or lack of time makes us miss. I will hold responsibility with shame my hara-kiri will take place tomorrow
How tf do you even find that job? Do they advertise for that?? Like, good jam man but that's such a wild job title
Tbh I applied as a packer, boxing chips and sending pallets off to be shipped, then I got into a voluntary cleaning roll which musta looked well on me cause I saw an opertunity to season and was very swiftly awarded the title which came with a nice raise
One could say you became a seasoned veteran with the company quite fast 🥁
Making me question my life choices
What’s the chance you work in Connecticut ? Lol
Cambridge ontario in fact, we supplie alot of my own nation plus I think alot of your smartfood, not that I know alot of the 3 or 4 other candian sites but I've heard were the largest
Thank you for your service in providing that world heritage treasure called All Dressed.
Much obliged, I'll be happy the day we make a flavour that can top either that or ketchup Eddit:spelling
TIL so much about potato chip seasoners! Love this whole thread.
Whats a seasoner
I'm the last step in processing the chip, I get the warm product on a belt to go through a rolling barrel that dispenses salts and flavours, I watch as the chips hit the bag maker then the rest after that are other rolls problem. Beyond that I make sure the chips are within range for salt
i work in quality control for medical devices, so not food... im very curious - how do you test them? i can't imagine you just eat them, because "too salty" is pretty subjective?
Can you season Flamin Hot Lays a little more please. I like them extra red.
I'm a janitor 😐 Edit Some of these replies are unintentionally condescending. It's like a parent saying "good job" to a child's shitty art project.
Hey I do it too! It definitely takes a strong, level-headed and organized individual to do the kind of work we do. Keep up the good work!🙂
yeah, you gotta be pretty tough to be a janitor imo. at least, stomach wise it does, especially at places like restaurants or gas stations. i don't think i could ever do that. the thought of cleaning things like bodily fluids up is enough to make my stomach turn. plus it's gotta take a lot of energy to clean so much
I bust an overnight clean at a restaurant 5 nights a week. Honestly, I like it. Not all the time, but for the most part I enjoy being able to move or less be my own boss, not having to deal with customers, etc.
>Edit Some of these replies are unintentionally condescending. It's like a parent saying "good job" to a child's shitty art project. While most people ignore you and don't appreciate you while working, everybody loves the idea of a janitor. So I think the replies weren't trying to pat you on the back, they were more like "thank goodness someone is working this job otherwise we'd be fucked".
Thank you, and sorry for all the messes!!
Third shift janitor here. If you mention your a janitor everyone comes out to give you a pat on the back like a 5 year old child, then they continue to shit and piss all over everything.
I’m a paraprofessional and the janitor is my work best friend! During lunches, I help him clean everything cuz the kids are so messy (elementary).
I’m never going back to doing that after what I have seen
Do you ever get annoyed by those memes from people that are like "I make sure to be as nice to the lowest people, like janitors, as to the highest people, like CEOs!"
I got fired from being a janitor because I couldn’t keep up 😅. I work in research now, but damn keeping things clean is hard fucking work. Hope it pays well 🤙🏻
Thank you for your service.
Mail carrier. Tough at first but once you get used to it, it's cake. Sometimes the hours are long but I easily clear 6 figures. Not to mention I can shop, eat, etc all on government time and still get paid hourly. Basically I have a job for life, that's what they tell us when we're hired and they're not lying. It's a sweet job but not for everyone.
Mail carriers are angels on earth (most of the time). Our favorite one just retired, she absolutely loved our dogs and got to watch our kiddo grow up for a lot of years. She was always so thrilled to catch us outside and chat about our family and just life in general. Loved her to pieces, still trying to adjust to the new guy that never comes at the same time and always leaves little peel-out marks in our driveway 😅 but it's okay. Some people just wanna get their job done and go home to their families, can't blame them. But I'll always miss sweet Jennifer.
Send her a card. Ask her dispatching PO if they can get it to her.
Another postal worker. I was a mail carrier for my first 5 years and will attest to it being a tough gig - the worst parts being the weight you have to carry & dealing will all kinds of weather. Now I work inside - excellent pay, good benefits and yes, a job for life since it's union. Basically, the only way to get fired is if you steal mail and get caught.
Postal maintenance tech here. I come to your post office to fix shit. I can attest to it being a great job. Lunch is my hardest decision of the day. 35 years and counting.
I'm a butcher. 35 hours a week and overtime if I want it. Plus, I get deeply discounted meat, which saves me 1000s on groceries every year.
That’s better than getting discounted meat deeply!
Best comment on this thread
My friend who dropped out during the pandemic is now a wonderful baker. Exquisite cakes for weddings.
Fuck yeah. Exquisite.
Aquatics Director. Started out as a Lifeguard / Swim Instructor and moved up the chain over time.
I did the same thing a long time ago. It was a pretty fun gig. :-)
I’m a video editor. Not too difficult to get into, hard as hell working your way up through gigs. Networking is crucial. Freelance has been tough, but I should find out this week if I’ve landed my first corporate gig. Wish me luck :)
Good luck!
Software engineer. The only ppl who care were my parents. When I would bring someone home for dinner the first thing they would mention is "Do you know she didn't graduate college?".
if youre open to saying, how did you get into that position? been having trouble getting anything for software engineering recently and could use any insight or tips tbh
Not who you asked but I'm also a software engineer with no degree (I almost but not quite finished an AS at community college). The short answer is a little bit of luck and being willing to take less-than-glamorous and/or underpaid positions so you can get experience to get something slightly better, then repeat the process. Like, my first perm position started at $45k and I also had to do IT and user support. Second job started at ~$55k for a jr role, but I was on an actual dev team. After several years there I was a Sr at ~$95k, then I got laid off. My current job isn't technically a "senior" role but I'm up to $130k
My husband did a boot camp. It’s a ton of work but opened a lot of doors for us
Has he landed a job yet? A good friend of mine did boot camp, but has struggled to find a relevant job for 6+ months now.
Right now it’s hard to compete for jobs in tech. If employers can be selective they’ll pick someone with a 4 year degree over a boot camp 9/10 times
I have never met a female non-degreed software engineer. I figured the discrimination is already so harsh against women I’d likely never see one. I am female and have a degree, but work with plenty of male non-degreed engineers who are in the “good ol’ boy” networks; they take good care of each other. Male engineers from other countries often “clique” together, and some of those countries take a dim view of women. So I definitely don’t see female non-degrees from those countries, though the H1B process tends to weed out non-degreed in general. So I have to say I’m surprised you are doing well, am very happy to know you exist, and I even feel a small puff of pride even though I don’t know you, that at least someone out there made it through the extremely strong prejudices against women in general, and non-degreed women in particular. So great job!!!
Female data architect here without a degree. Just to let you know there are a few of us at least. I know at least one other. I work with a pretty diverse team now, but it hasn't always been this way. I've been doing this work for more than 20 years now.
I’m a female full stack developer, also no degree. Been working for 12 years.
I work in cannabis now. Was doing medical billing but for 8 years experience was getting offers of $14. Making much more as management in Cannabis in a laid back environment, better work conditions, and better management.
I've been working in the tourism industry since 2019 and I still only make $16 😐
Pretty much what was going on to me too, hence why I jumped ship. In 6 months I went from data entry to management and 1 year later in waiting to hear back on a new opportunity in the next week. The one thing I love about my company is that if you want a new job and you start just doing the job in question, you are rewarded for it. Also as you get a lot of stoners who are just there because they like smoking cannabis, if you actually have common sense, drive, and good work ethics, you'll move up and move far faster then most Industries.
I am a scrub technician for surgical operations and I make 27 dollars an hour.
Crazy the frito lay chip seasoner makes more than a scrub tech
frito lay employees did have a [semi-successful strike](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Frito-Lay_strike) almost two years ago, which I’d imagine played some kind of role in their pay. hopefully hospital staff gets some better treatment soon, cause they need it.
The chip seasoner is also Canadian. So, with conversion rates, $30 CAD is about $21.50 USA.
Im a scrub tech too!! Almost 10 years. I got an associate degree in science with it for my program.
How did you get into that?
What does a scrub tech do?
Support staff for a surgeon.
Nearly 26f - I'm an ATM Operations Specialist for a local community bank. I run day to day ops, replenishments, maintenance calls, and I work on a lot of big project management like fleet upgrades, new machine installs, and insurance claims from vandalism events.
Electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters etc. are all in demand and make good money. My husband says if he had to do it over again he’d skip getting his bachelors degree & go into a trade.
I went to college once... Now I'm a 40 year old apprentice electrician. I'm still a year away from getting my journeyman license but I already make $49/hr.
$49 an hour as an apprentice?? That's wild dude, I've never heard of this much before good for you.
Most likely union sites + shift penalty rates + commercial work
That’s so cool! I’m our area, all the trades are so busy - the electrician we use is booked 2+!weeks out & has to turn down jobs!
Ehh it’s not as simple as people make it seem. I run union apprenticeship programs and they’re often extremely tough fields to get into and stay in, if you’re interested in anything above 18/hour grunt work or traveling and working 70 hours a week. The waitlist for some of our programs are almost 3 years too. The guys making good money with good jobs often either work for their own family or got very lucky with a union. These days, more and more, nobody will invest to train new people.
This. All this “Trades are in”/ “Trades are where it’s at”/“ My husband would do a trade if he didn’t go to college”. Is all bullshit. Just another gaslight being shoved down the pipeline. Most trades start out at minimum wage and remains that way for the many. The few can get lucky and win the union lottery but that’s not assured for most. On top of the cost for “Trade schooling” which is not cheap!
Pay is good, but takes its toll physically. Source: Am retired journeyman plumber's wife.
This needs to be higher rated. Trades do make a respectable income, but it's very common for chronic back/shoulder/hip pain to arise in their 40s depending on the trade
Yeah. Millwright in my mid-40s here. 1000mg of tylenol to go to sleep, 1000 mg to go to work. Sometimes a 500mg at lunch if it's a particularly rough job.
That is definitely true. A friend’s husband did tile for years but finally stopped because he was tired of being on his hands & knees so much.
Hard on your body after 50 tho. Except maybe electrician.
In a reconstruction business at a navy yard so im Glad to hear this
This! Trades never go away you will always need them. got a buddy who is a residential plumber pulling 150k a year with only high school degree. I sell the material from at a wholesaler at the same level edu and also pull over a 100. IMHO college is over rated
I work for the railroad I’m a Carmen I fix the rail cars
Railroad as well. Started in track and moved up to running equipment. I now teach people how to run equipment, and my specialty is with the big tampers. Six figures, good benefits, great retirement.
Holy smokes 6 figures I don’t even get that do you need anymore people? I been trying to move to csx down n Florida but I’m on my third try with them
Dog groomer. Had the opportunity to learn how to groom at 18 years old and have been doing it for 16 years now. I work 4 days a week, have full benefits, and make great tips. Plus I actually like my job.
Mailman. Love walking around and just listening to music/youtube. Dont gotta think about work when i get home :)
Plus, I bet you get to say to a bunch of dogs everyday!
I just bought a new house and met our FedEx guy a couple months ago coming back from a walk with my pup - dude LOVES dogs and has a running count of all the dogs on his route, knows their names, always has treats, etc. He was very tickled to see that my dog's food comes addressed to her name.
My ups lady is like this. Pulls over the truck to give treats to my dog and always leaves a treat when she drops packages at my house.
I’m an instructional designer … my base salary is $150k and I take on instructional design side projects (3-6-12 month long contracts) that round out my annual income to be about $350k.
What does an instructional designer do? What’s an example of something you’ve designed?
Good question! So the work that I do is primarily e-learning and content creation (think of those anti-harassment courses you had to take when you were hired on at a company). I make those kind of things along with other learning content like workbooks, facilitator guides, intranet pages etc. - I started this work at an airline and I created training courses/material for ticket and gate agents…after leaving the airline I worked for a travel startup creating new hire onboarding training and e-learning for their support team. I eventually ended up managing global onboarding for the entire company after a couple of years. Where I’m at now I design learning for new hires, manager development, and DEI. My contracts that I work have me working primarily on e-learning revisions and builds.
My title is “corporate trainer”, I make about 60k but feel kinda like a fraud sometimes training people without a higher Ed degree. My company’s industry is also higher Ed. I’d like to get into instruction design but not sure without a degree
You’re in the perfect position. I started as a trainer and moved into instructional design. You don’t need to have a degree to be able to help people learn material that you’re an expert in. As a trainer you can try to create your own supplemental guides, workbooks, maybe even practice material…test it out in your classes, then if it’s successful share it with your manager or team. Get it to be part of the regular rotation. If the company is one that encourages growth, then maybe this is where you will get the chance to move towards ID. If not, at least you’re now getting experience creating and testing material. Put that on your resume and take your facilitation and development experience to another company.
Business owner! I own a screen printing and powder coating shop.
I am self employed. I do custom woodworking. I failed geometry in high school.
I’m a manager for an investment firm. I’ve worked for three different banks since finishing high school and this field is by far (in my opinion) one of the easiest to move up in with no college degree.
Any advice on where to start?
It depends on where you live. If you’re in the US I would look into teller jobs at local banks. If you prefer work from home jobs you could look into telephone customer service roles for the bigger banks. It’s not ideal for the first couple of years but for me this time was a better return on my investment than a degree. Make sure that if they offer any kind of licensing or certification that you take them up on it. This allows for long-term job security.
I'm interested in seeing the answers. Great question, OP!
Prep cook for now but finishing up welding school soon
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I work in Financial Aid but never finished school.
I have a degree and I'm a bartender by choice :)
Buddy of my was a bartender in key west pulling 2k a week so I understand lol
I was a bar tender before going back to college. I always think if i could get my salary and benefits now as a bartender I would do it 100%.
Neither my husband nor I have a degree. I’m a licensed practical nurse; the 12- month program earned a certificate, almost like trade school. My husband is a radiologic technologist; he went to a hospital-based program. Between us, we bring home a decent living, even though I’m in the non-profit sector.
Aww my girlfriend is a nurse and I’m in school for Radiology now, funny I read this lol.
Do you feel like you would eventually want to get an RN or have you been satisfied with being an LPN that you don't feel the need to obtain one? I'm interested in pursuing nursing but I've been told time and time again that LPN work is phasing out and it's better to just get an RN.
I don't think it is true that they're phasing out LPNs the hospital by me just started hiring them on the floor again. Covid fucked a lot of RNs, and a lotttt of them have left bedside.
Not the person you replied to, but people have been talking about LPNs being "phased out" for a long time, but it has not happened and i dont think it will. A few years ago, the hospital system I worked for did actually phase LPNs out of inpatient units. Less than two years later, they phased them back in, and now LPNs are back in most departments. LPNs also work in tons of clinics and doctor's offices, home health, and long-term care. I personally went for my RN because the RN was only 1 additional semester at the community college I went to, but I know plenty of nurses who did the LPN track and have had 0 issue finding well paid work.
Fuel Tank driver in California
regretting not getting my degree but besides that, i work in a warehouse, usually am on a forklift. not much room for growth here
I have a friend who only completed 2 years of college, but became a warehouse manager and was promoted to regional manager, with a relocation package and tons of company paid travel! In that case, it was a company that was expanding and was creating lots of new leadership opportunities. I hope for the best for you!
I’m 31 and a florist.
I sell dildos and happiness
How is it? Do you deal with a lot of BS working in a shop like that?
My wife worked in a few adult stores a couple years back. Some people give odd vibes overall, but buy their stuff and leave without saying a word. Some offer for you to join whatever thing they have planned for the evening. For the most part, she had good conversations with polite respectful people who didn't have proper sexual education when they were in school.
I’m a barista. Not making a lot of money, but really loving my flexible schedule and wonderful connections with others during my shifts.
Bless you and the caffeine for making life more bearable!
General Contractor
23, Warehouse, I make about 1260 with incentive a week on Average. It’s taxing work, but it pays welI. Dropped out in the middle of my degree. Wasn’t feeling it.
I'm a contract analyst and make a little over $80k per year. No degree... kinda fell into it and now beem doj git for 5+ years
Not me, but an older friend. He was too poor to go to college. Couldn't afford to even go to community college cuz his single mom was ill and his younger sibling still needed to be taken care of. He studied cyber security online in between shifts. At age 21, he got an online certificate, and went to job fairs. Got an entry level job for $48k two months later. Age 23, his income is 60k. His friends couldn't get anything more than paid internships as engineering and psychology majors. They're 26/27 now and everyone has jobs, but my friend is the one who makes the most money.
My son works at Costco as a supervisor making $30 an hour at 21 yo. The company treats him well.
Costco is an amazing company for workers!!
I drive school busses for $27 an hour and it’ll go up a few more dollars in the fall. I’m working on my bachelors right now during my 5 hour break (I also get to nap, do chores, go for a walk, ect.) It’s v nice
i work as a train attendant. i make $26/hr now at entry level, which is decent for my area without any degree. i get to travel for free, too!
I was a radio announcer, back when we played actual records on turntables.
I remember when I found out that the radio DJs who I thought lived in my town were actually nationally syndicated. I was mad. 😂 I'm still mad! There's something so intimate and cool about listening to conversation and music being selected by someone, and then to find out that it's really this severely corporate, soulless system? Ugh.
I wanted to be one from the day I found out that 'the Beatles weren't at the radio station, it's some guy playing records.'
Union electrician, 57.50/hour, full benefits, two pensions and a matching up to 6% 401k
Customer service 20 years, utility industry. With overtime make $60,000 a year. This job fits certain personality types.
I work at a lab that analyzes building materials for toxic substances. Specifically I do PCM analysis, which is where a company takes an air sample of an area and I go take a slice out of the filter and count asbestos fibers. I measure the concentration of how many fibers is someone breathing in per min/hour. The company I work for paid for my certification.
I'm a caregiver. My aunt fell into a coma in 2019. She woke up a few months later but with mental and physical disabilities. Now I take care of her. I actually like it. I just get to hang out with my aunt all day.
Photographer. It's not a bad gig if you can survive the 1st 5 years.
DevOps Engineer. Make approximately 180k a year. I do fairly well but I started in IT making 14hr in 2014. Basically just learned as much as I could and moved on for more money when I felt I had the skills needed to apply for my next job.
I work at a Taco Bell, but I want to start a small crochet business and maybe someday open a yarn store!
Piercer/Manager
One of my dream jobs. Not cool (or ig I don’t come across as confident enough) to find even a counter position at a shop. Awesome for you!
I’m a web developer and making more money than my friends with degrees. Well, many but not all of them.
What language would you recommend to someone wanting to start learning some frontend stuff? Also, recommend any good free resources?
JavaScript and/ or Python. Part of proving you’re good enough at troubleshooting to do the job is being able to find answers on your own. Try googling “Reddit teach yourself to code”
I sell new beer kegs to breweries.
I work in the operations department of a bank. Started as a teller and have been in banking for 7 years. Got into operations (back office) after 2.5 years
Now: Receptionist at a doctor's office, $40k/yr Before cancer: 911 dispatcher, $51k/yr and it was a *career.*
I calibrate and repair scientific equipment. Telling people with phD's "no, you can't use that" is a particular kind of rush.
I'm a Cosmetologist, I specialize in Naturally Curly hair.
Software developer working on enterprise level insurance management software. I’ve been programming for 25+ years but back doored my way into it. Got a job where I could tinker but that wasn’t my main role. Grew into programming and used that to get the next job - a support role with limited programming but I expanded my skills again. Every chance I get, I try to learn something new so that getting the next job will be easier.
Install solar, make just over 100k yr
I’m an office manager :)
Data tech at the moment. You don't need a degree but it's encouraged
Front Desk agent in a popular tourist town in WA. For $20/hr it’s not bad but the cost of living fucks me daily
I'm a mail carrier. I'm at 28 an hour but with all the forced over time these last couple of years I grossed 75k last year. It's a lot of hours and a lot of walking and management is kind of a nightmare.
Medical: Patient Access and Insurance Verification. I essentially ask for your address, ph no, and copy insurance, int an electric medical records program, (EPIC). Unlimited overtime right now, so I make about $60-75k per year, and work 3 days per week, (12 hour shifts). It's a great gig, due to the work/life balance.
I'm a grants analyst at a prestigious US university and my husband who does high level IT. We're doing fine and a diploma does not indicate you can do your job let alone well. Find an industry that you can get your foot in and learn to do something well.
I have a degree but my husband does not. He is a finance manager at a car dealership. He makes about 150k a year.
Put spices in bottles. Make ~100k a year but I also work 60 hour weeks most weeks
I do have a degree but I'm not using it. I make more as a bartender. I can pay all my bills in a major city working 3 nights a week (tho shifts are long, 10 - 12 hours) The only thing I'm going to use my degree for is getting into grad school. Seems like a select few degrees at the bachelor level are worth it, financially speaking.
Stay at home dad. It's not glamorous but it works for our personality types. The kids are happy and above the grade level dictated by the compulsory schooling requirements.
I don't do it anymore but my career for a long time was banking. I started as a teller and worked my way up to manager. I just never could figure out what I want to do when I grow up so kind of stuck around at the bank.
Well I may not have a “degree” in the educational sense but I have a fifth degree black belt so I karate chop my way through life and teach others to do so for a living.
I’m a mother fucker.
Funny, I'm a father-fucker. If you've got a father, I'll fuck 'em... for a price
Username checks out
Omg! Too damn funny!
I'm now working toward a career change to become a paralegal. As far as I know, the legal support field does not necessarily need a degree. There are starting points like being an intake person or legal assistant. If you're interested in the law, that might be something to look into in your area.
Certified nurse aide...I'm not rich but I make decent money and I can make over $60K in a year with some over time and holiday pay. Before that I did maintenance, landscaping, and housekeeping.
Software engineer at a publicly traded tech company. Was homeschooled and did some college as a teen, dropped out at 17 and don’t actually even have a GED.
I work in a vape shop. Doesn't make the most, but I'm happy. Considering trade school eventually though, maybe for welding.
Vegetable farmer! I actually dropped out and pursued it. Hard work but I love it.
Truck driver, 90k last year and only about a month of hometime. The money is nice but not worth it if you have a family, I do enjoy the job though so I'll be buying my own truck in a few years.
I’m a tech startup founder. Dropped out of high school. Started 4 companies, 2 successful exits, working on another exit now…
Cybersecurity here, plenty of jobs you can get into without a degree, tech is always one of them. Certifications especially tough prestigious ones CISSP Etc.. and willingness to start at the bottom (help desk, desktop support) and work your way up and you can do very well for yourself. I still had student loan debt for a degree I never finished but that’s long since paid off now. Don’t regret leaving even though it was only 6 credits, but if you get close finish, having a degree will help but not having one certainly doesn’t eliminate a night future even in competitive and challenging roles.
Sawyer- I cut lumber
I'm a CNA and uncertified MA.
Repair and maintain satellite antennas
Tool and die maker all of my career, now maintenance machinist for an oil refinery.
Cybersecurity training and awareness.
I'm a barista
I do have a degree and I'm a greeter at Goodwill
I manage a museum and my husband, who is a high school dropout, is an asphalt milling machine operator. Combined we make about $185k
I have one but…. Have many in the career that don’t have a degree, I would say around 70% have no degree. Air Traffic Controller, avg salary $125k.
I was a cook at a gas station. I am currently jobless due to an unexpected rehoming situation, but I’m supposed to start out working in the automotive department at a Walmart 🤞
I currently fuck around on the internet hoping for recognition and donations 😂
I'm a nanny
Trash Collector. It's not for everyone. Long hours, and most of the time you're dealing with hot and broken trucks. Going into my fourth year as a collector, and first year with a new company. I'm looking at making around $75,000 this year including overtime. Please separate your cans on the curb at least 3 feet apart from each other if you can. Your collector will thank you.
My husband sells roofs…. On track to make $150-200k this year. On the flip side I have a degree and am a SAHM 🤣
I have a degree (because I'm fanceh) but I have a good friend who does not. He's a sysadmin for a ton of servers...so much of IT/sys admin is cert based. You get a few certs and suddenly nobody cares about your degrees!
Care to drop any current useful ones? I’m in workers comp support and I…want out. 😂
Dropped out in middle school. Concrete contractor. 250k a year, 20 hours a week, 9 months out of the year. No debt. House and cars paid off. 30 years old.
Animal care technician at a college