In today’s job market, online recruiters are increasingly embracing a skills-based hiring approach rather than focusing solely on formal education. This shift recognizes that practical skills and hands-on experience can often outweigh traditional academic credentials.
Although a university degree might not be a prerequisite for many high-paying online jobs, acquiring relevant skills through online training remains crucial. Platforms like Coursera, with its financial aid options, Udemy, and Alison offer valuable resources to help you build expertise and stay competitive.
According to Upwork, here are 15 high-paying online jobs that do not require a university degree
Virtual assistant
If you have diverse skills and enjoy working closely with individuals, becoming a virtual assistant might be a great fit for you. Many CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other professionals seek remote assistance for tasks ranging from email management to social media posting. While virtual assistant roles typically don’t require a degree, additional training may be necessary depending on your specific task. Common tasks include scheduling, managing emails, booking travel, updating spreadsheets, creating presentations, overseeing social media, handling databases, reporting, and ghostwriting. The average pay for virtual assistants ranges from $18 to $35 per hour.
Administrative support professional
Administrative support professionals share similarities with virtual assistants but offer their services to a broader range of employees rather than focusing on just one individual. While virtual assistants often support high-profile figures, administrative support professionals are typically involved in human resources and office management, covering a variety of roles. Depending on the specific tasks, such as bookkeeping or using specialised company software, additional training may be required. Responsibilities may include bookkeeping, managing spreadsheets, handling payroll, responding to phone calls and emails, invoicing, coordinating meetings, filing, and expense reporting. The average pay for administrative support professionals ranges from $10 to $20 per hour.
Graphic designers
Graphic designers can earn between $40 and $75 per hour. Although a degree in graphic design can be beneficial, it’s not strictly necessary if you have a strong portfolio and the right skills. Graphic designers create visual content for companies and clients using tools like Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Whether it is designing a logo, crafting social media graphics, or developing marketing materials, your work will often be guided by a company’s brand style. You can either self-teach graphic design or enrol in online courses to master popular design software and techniques.
Project managers
With an average pay of $19-$45 per hour, project managers play a vital role in guiding teams across various industries to achieve their goals. Although a university degree is not necessary for this role, gaining expertise in project management software like Asana through online courses and certifications is beneficial. Additionally, developing soft skills such as leadership, communication, and time management is essential for success in this field.
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Digital marketers
You do not need a degree to become a freelance digital marketer, with an average pay of $15-$45 per hour. By teaching yourself the necessary skills and earning certificates through online courses, you can enter this dynamic field. Digital marketers help businesses build brand awareness and generate leads through various online channels such as social media, website content, and email. Their role includes managing both paid and organic marketing campaigns to drive traffic and engagement. Typical services offered by digital marketers involve Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content creation, blogging, digital ads, analytics, trend forecasting, affiliate and influencer marketing, and marketing automation.
Writer
Companies often hire writers without degrees for various niches, whether it is creative content for branding and marketing or technical writing. Writers can produce everything from short-form articles to long-form reports. In freelance writing, your portfolio and client reviews are crucial, showcasing your skills and versatility. Gaining experience and adding certificates to your resume can help you stay competitive in the field. With an average pay of $30-$40 per hour, writing offers a flexible and rewarding career path.
Translator
Translation offers an appealing opportunity with an average pay of $15-$45 per hour and doesn’t require a degree. As a translator, you convert written content from one language to another, ensuring the text remains grammatically correct and true to its original meaning. Specialising in fields like marketing or technical content can add complexity, requiring you to not only translate but also adapt the material to fit cultural contexts. Popular languages for translation include English, Portuguese, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, Arabic, German, Italian, and French.
Transcriber
Transcribers convert audio, video, PDFs, and written notes into text documents. While a degree is not required to become a transcriptionist, specialised fields like medical or legal transcription often require specific certifications. Key skills for a transcriber include fast and accurate typing, along with the ability to edit and proofread as needed. There are various types of transcription jobs available, including roles as a court reporter, captioner, law enforcement transcriber, legal transcriber, medical transcriber, and real-time captioner. The average pay for transcriptionists ranges from $17 to $22 per hour.
Social media manager
Many companies and individuals look for assistance with handling their social media presence, from creating content and managing ads to engaging with followers—all tasks that can be performed remotely. A degree is not necessary to excel as a social media manager; many people in this role are self-taught and enhance their skills with online courses and certifications. Typical responsibilities for a social media manager include planning content calendars, crafting posts or overseeing designers and copywriters, scheduling content, running social media ads, managing community interactions, responding to messages and comments, analysing performance metrics, and organising influencer marketing campaigns. The average pay for social media managers ranges from $14 to $35 per hour.
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Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping, a key aspect of accounting, is a flexible work-from-home job that does not require a degree. To stand out in this field, you can take courses and earn bookkeeping certificates. Essential skills for bookkeeping include attention to detail and proficiency with numbers and spreadsheets. Companies typically hire bookkeepers to maintain accurate and organised financial records. Responsibilities in this role can include managing payroll, overseeing financial transactions, maintaining ledgers, preparing financial statements, handling invoicing, updating account balances, data entry, and managing accounts payable. The average pay for bookkeepers ranges from $11 to $25 per hour.
Voice-over artist
With an average pay of $16 to $23 per hour, voice-over artists can enjoy a rewarding work-from-home job without needing a degree. These voice actors are hired by organisations to read scripts and narrate a wide range of content, from commercials and corporate videos to podcasts and audiobooks. All you need is a great voice and the proper recording and editing equipment. Voice-over artists can work in various settings, from business to creative roles that involve developing unique characters and accents. Potential projects include animated TV shows and movies, video games, documentaries, webinars, and health and wellness apps.
Technical support professional
Many companies are willing to hire remote technical support professionals with an average pay of $12-$30 per hour without requiring a degree, focusing instead on an individual’s technology, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and customer service skills. As a technical support professional, your role involves assisting employees or customers with technical issues related to computer software or physical products. You may be responsible for debugging or upgrading software, often working remotely by guiding someone through the necessary steps or directly accessing their computer to resolve the issue. Given the high demand for technical support, numerous IT courses and certifications are available online to help you specialise in specific programs and software.
Survey freelancer
Survey freelancers are often hired by businesses and organisations to create, design, and analyse survey data. Utilising platforms such as SurveyMonkey or Jotform, you can develop customised surveys for clients and help them interpret the findings. Surveys are a valuable tool across various industries for gathering insights and making informed decisions. For instance, companies might use surveys to measure customer satisfaction after a purchase or gather feedback from their most loyal customers on new products. As a survey freelancer, you might work on a range of survey types, including market research, customer satisfaction, post-event or training feedback, human resource and employee feedback, exit interviews, product feedback, brand awareness, and lead generation surveys. On average, survey freelancers earn about $25 per hour.
Content creator
Companies are constantly seeking talented content creators to produce compelling digital material, from blog posts and white papers to engaging graphics, images, and videos. The role does not typically require a degree as long as you have the necessary skills and a strong portfolio. As a content creator, you might be involved in developing a content strategy and planning out a content calendar, or you could be tasked with creating specific pre-planned deliverables like Instagram reels or blog posts. Your work could include creating social media graphics, YouTube videos, product tutorials, website graphics, presentations, newsletters, podcasts, and livestreams. The average pay for content creators ranges from $30 to $50 per hour.
Web designer
Almost every business requires a website, and web designers are hired to ensure it is visually appealing and easy to navigate. While developers handle the back-end framework and coding, web designers focus on the front-end layout, aesthetics, and overall user experience. You do not need a degree or extensive coding knowledge to become a web designer—just a keen eye for design and the relevant skills. To excel in this field, you might need to take courses or learn to use specific web design tools and software. Common platforms that web designers work with include Shopify, Squarespace, Adobe Dreamweaver, WordPress, Adobe XD, Wix, Weebly, Figma, Webflow, and Google Web Designer. The average pay for web designers ranges from $15 to $30 per hour.
