In today’s world where economies are changing rapidly and jobs are depleting, getting a college degree has become expensive and not guaranteeing high paid work. The sheer cost of attending college or to get degree has been steadily increasing every year. According to the College Board’s survey, the ‘moderate’ fees of attending a normal state or public college in U.S is almost $23,000 per year, while it costs around $44,000 to attend a private institute for best four year degrees. As an average American, I am sure most of us cannot afford that kind of money out of our pockets. So relying on student loans is obvious. This means that what you choose to study and make career out of it, the investment made by you might not be worth it. In the environment of such close competition and inflation, if you think you cannot afford to go to college or don’t feel like it- then you don’t have to. I say that because you can still get a high paying job without getting a college degree. Yes there are jobs that don’t require a college degree in the market.

According to the popular TV host of the show ‘Dirty Show’, Mike Rowe, the importance of skilled labor and ‘dirty jobs’ can never be underestimated. Rowe in his online and TV interviews has said that even though college degrees can get you more money and respect but a skilled labor job is no less respectable or a good career choice for people for whom college is not yet on the cards.

As per the new data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the following 5 are the highest paying jobs that you can do without a college degree, each remitting you an annual salary of upto $35,000 and above.

1. Home Care Worker

For doing a work that can make positive and direct impact on people who are truly in need, working as a home care aide can be the best possible career choice for you.

Home Care Workers provide service to individuals in need of care, usually at their homes. Such individuals can be the disabled, elderly, sick or others. Being a home care worker doesn’t mean you are a nurse, but it might include work such as meal preparation, laundry, house cleaning, transportation, companionship, and advice on matters of personal importance. For doing this job you don’t need a college degree but you will need a certification from the National Association of Home Care and Hospice. There are many courses that can get a degree online for you in this field. A median salary in the profession can be from $27,000 upto $ 32,000 in coming five years.

2. Receptionist

If you like being the face of a product of company, it does not mean you need to become a model or a brand ambassador. All you need to do is work as a receptionist, who very often is the first faces and first impressionist of a company.

Some people think a receptionist job only means taking phone calls, transferring into relevant departments, fetching coffee or maintaining the reception area. However it would be wrong to say that this is the only work that receptionists are supposed to do. In such an important public facing role- both in person and on phone, receptionists are very much an integral part of an organization like any other employee, and play a key role in setting the tone for company’s success or failure. If you think this job doesn’t pay well, consider it again as the median salary of this role can fetch you from $30,000 upto $37,000 a year. For becoming a receptionist you don’t need any specialist qualification. Having a high school diploma is just enough, and it could serve as a springboard for future specialized kind of jobs in the sector of your choice.

3. Bookkeeper

If you think handling a company’s book keeping needs a bunch of qualifications, then you are mistaken. A book keeper’s job is to maintain a company’s financial records, and a typical work may include recording financial transactions, managing payable and receivable accounts, reconciling bank statements, updating the trial balance, profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets, invoicing clients, managing payroll, completing annual tax forms, and making state and federal tax deposits.

Bookkeepers at small businesses might take up a large scope of responsibilities than the ones working in large companies, and many a times might need an associate degree or so. You can easily earn degree online for bookkeeping or accounting. But nevertheless, knowledge of accounts and bookkeeping taught at high school is enough for the job. And if you feel like advancing further in this field, you can always take up certificate courses that are reasonable to enhance your skills. By 2020 this job is likely to get a hike of 14 % in its salary bracket from estimate median salary of $39,000 to $47,000.

4. Sales Representative

The art of connecting with people, managing relationships and selling them a product doesn’t need a college degree, nor can it be taught at any college or school. It is something that many people are born with and this skill is honed with practice and confidence with time.

In the age when consumerism is at its peak, every company is trying to produce a product which is salable and needs good sales representatives. Exact duties of a sales representative varies from industry to industry but a person in this job must be energetic, street smart, friendly and aggressive enough to close the deal. Workers in this industry are usually judged by the results produced by them, making it a high risk yet highly rewarding a job. Selling a product is not everyone’s cup of tea but working in this profession can be monetarily satisfying as the median salary can be upto $75,000 annually and is likely to reach $93,000 by 2020.

5. Office Clerk

An office clerk’s job is one job which really doesn’t need you to have a college degree, yet opens doors for advancement in position in the career of your choice. According to Mike Rowe, office clerk is a tedious and sometimes unappreciated, but it is one of the most important jobs that keep an office running smoothly on daily basis. Activities like sorting mails, answering phone calls, data entry, office maintenance and operating office machinery. An office clerk is a general work that is applied to all business and mostly requires only a high school diploma. A median salary for working as an office clerk can be anything from $31,000 to $38,000.

So if you are thinking this is not the right time to attend college, and you are keen to work, the above options can be considered before you make your final decision.