Many people think that to make a high wage, you either need to go to college or be able to work in high-stress jobs with lots of responsibilities.
In reality, there are many low-stress jobs that don’t require a college degree that pays well. Many of these jobs are in high demand.
We’ve put together a list of the best high-paying, low-stress jobs that don’t require a degree.
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What Is a Low-Stress Job?
A job that doesn’t cause too much mental or physical stress is low-stress. Many people do their best work in low-stress situations.
Low-stress jobs give you time to be creative, spend time with your family, and even travel.
How Do Low-Stress Jobs Pay?
How much you get paid for low-stress jobs depends on how hard the work is. For instance, a medical record specialist who organizes patient information and writes it down makes an average of $45,240 per year.
A web developer who builds and maintains websites, on the other hand, makes an average of $77,200 per year.
People say that being a web developer is a low-stress job because all you need is a high school diploma and some specialized skills. You can teach yourself these skills or get better at them through classes or boot camps.
What Skills Do You Need to Land Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree?
The following are important skills needed to land low-stress jobs that pay well without a degree.
1. Communication Skills
Good communication skills help you understand and give directions, and they are important in jobs with different levels of stress. Video calls, email, and instant messaging are all forms of communication that are used in many jobs. To do well in any field, you also need to be able to read and write at a basic level.
2. Initiative and Enthusiasm
Self-starters who are excited about their work are in high demand in the workplace today. If you are self-motivated, you can solve problems that you have never dealt with before. In any job, but especially in high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree, it helps to be resourceful.
3. Collaborative Attitude
To work well with other people, you need to know how to work together. Workers in every industry have to work together in real or virtual environments. Being responsive and proactive helps the entire organization run more smoothly.
Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree and With a Median Income of $40,000
This section will consider low-stress jobs that pay well without a degree and $40,000 median income.
1. Massage Therapist
Even before Covid, massage therapy was one of the homeopathic treatments that people asked for the most. Since Covid, stress is at an all-time high, and more and more people want to get massages. From 2020 to 2023, I expect the number of jobs for massage therapists to grow by 32%. The average annual salary for this job is $43,000.
A Massage Therapist does need to get a license before they can work. State to state, the number of hours needed to get a license will be different.
2. Solar Photovoltaic Installers
People are using solar energy in their homes and businesses more and more. An installer of solar photovoltaics puts solar photovoltaic panels on roofs and other buildings. There may be jobs that only need a few panels, and there may also be jobs that need a lot of panels.
These installers don’t have to have a lot of experience, but they do need to be able to understand how electrical wiring works. You also need to be able to figure out what’s wrong with complicated wiring.
In order to get certified, you have to go through some training. It takes about three months to get the certification, but it’s good for three years.
The average salary for a solar photovoltaic installer is $46,000, and this job is expected to grow by 52% from 2022 to 2030.
3. Personal Trainer
Personal trainer jobs are one of the best jobs to have, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is because more and more people want to be healthy.
When it comes to working hours, personal trainers have a lot of freedom. Personal trainers can work part-time or full-time, and they can either work for themselves or for gyms.
The median salary is $40,000, and it is expected to grow by $39 between 2020 and 2030.
4. Flight Attendants
Flight attendants are like your personal assistants while you’re in the air. They make sure you are safe and comfortable and can answer almost any question you have.
For this job, you need to be good with people and know how to make them feel at ease and welcome. I expect this job to grow by 30% between 2020 and 2030 and pay an average of $59,000 per year.
5. Construction Painter
Painters who work in construction paint things like buildings and bridges. They also paint things like tools and road signs. In order for wood and metal to last and not corrode, care must be taken to paint them using the proper paints.
They need to know about different types of coating materials and when to use each one.
Fun Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree
Many people are trading in their suits and ties or heels and skirts for fun, low-stress jobs that make them happy to get up and go to work. Having a job you enjoy makes stress go away on its own, but these jobs are low-stress even without that.
6. Choreographers
Who wouldn’t want to get paid to dance? Choreographers make dance routines, teach dance classes, and put together dance recitals and shows for fun.
Some choreographers go to college after high school, but this is not a must. The average pay for this job is $52,000, but it can go as high as more than $100,000.
7. Make-Up Artists
Do you want to make performers look like they are from a certain time, place, or situation? You can make make-up art by working with companies that offer personal care services, make movies and videos, or put on shows. The average annual salary is $100,000.
8. Web Developers
People want websites that look good. People who know how computers work can help people and businesses make websites that get people to where they want them to go. Web developers can work for companies, advertising agencies, publishing companies, or freelance work.
Some jobs are easier to get if you have a certification, but most just need a high school diploma. The average salary for a web developer is $477,000.
9. Travel Agent
Agents who help people plan their vacations have a lot of fun doing it. Travel agents need to be able to do research, talk to people, plan, and use computers well.
Logistics is a very important skill to have here so that travelers can make the most of their time. The average travel agent’s salary is $46,000. This is one of the funniest jobs that doesn’t require a degree and pays well.
10. Freelance photographers
Photographers who work on their own can make anywhere from $50,000 to $90,000 a year by taking pictures of families, real estate, and products. You can be a freelance photographer if you know how to use editing software well. Some freelancers choose to get certifications and more education, but it is not required.
11. Optician
This job is easy and doesn’t require a degree. In this line of work, you will help people who need contact lenses or eyeglasses after their appointments. The optometrists will figure out what’s wrong and give you a prescription.
You will measure them and help them choose the right lenses for the glasses or contacts they want. You need to have a high school diploma, and you can make between $40,000 and $60,000. This is one of my favorite low-stress jobs that is slow-paced.
Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree for Introverts
There’s nothing wrong with being shy. Introverts like to be alone and get their energy from being alone. There are jobs that pay well and make it less stressful to be around other people. So everyone wins!
12. Software Developer
We live in a world that is mostly online, and software developers are very important to how well that world works. Software developer jobs let shy people work from home or in an office and make a good salary.
A software developer must be able to fix bugs, troubleshoot, test processes, write reports on the software’s specifications, and analyze systems. The average pay is more than $100,000, and you might not even need a college degree. Some high school students make money while they are still in school by making software.
13. Social Media Manager
Social media managers come up with plans to get people to visit a website, get more people to follow it, create social campaigns, make content, look at analytics, and do what the company’s key stakeholders want. I can do this job on my own or for a company, and the average salary is $50,000.
14. Graphic Designer
For this job, you don’t need a degree, but certification in certain areas of graphic design can be helpful. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graphic designers earn about $50,000 a year.
Graphic designers make pictures and designs for books, ads, and other things that need pictures as well as designs. The hand can make these designs or with the software on a computer. This is a creative, reduced job that pays well and doesn’t require a degree.
15. Courier or Delivery Driver
Since Covid, more and more people use delivery services to get their groceries, packages, and other things. This is a great job for people who don’t like to talk to a lot of people since they often pick up and drop off orders without having to talk to anyone.
No experience is needed, and you don’t have to go to school. You can set your own hours and work as much or as little as you want. You decide how much money you make.
16. Bookkeeper
If you like numbers and working on your own, you may love being a bookkeeper. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the average annual salary for a bookkeeper is $42,110. Most of the time, all you need is a high school diploma.
17. Virtual Assistant
People are starting their own businesses more and more, and soon they are so busy that they need an assistant to help them stay on top of things and stay organized. Virtual assistants work from home and do everything an assistant would do in a company in a physical location.
You don’t need formal training or experience, but knowing how computers and software work can be very helpful. Average hourly pay is between $10 and $15.
18. Medical Transcriptionist
Doctors and other health care providers make voice recordings, and medical transcriptionists listen to such recordings and write them down. Even if you don’t need formal training, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the medical terms you’ll be using.
In this employment, the typical income is $38,000, but you can work from home and choose your own hours. This is one of the highest-paying 9-to-5 occupations that does not necessitate a college degree.
19. Customer Chat Agent
In the technological world we live in now, everyone needs help getting around. Chat agents are available at any time to help people who are having trouble with an app or other computer program. The average wage is between $12 and $15.
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Least Stressful Jobs that Pay
You may already know that you want as little stress as possible in your life. You may also want a way of life that gives you less stress when you’re not working and gives you a good salary.
Who says that you can’t have your cake and eat it too? There are some jobs that tend to be low-stress just because of what they are and what they do.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook gives each job a score of 0 to 100 based on how well it can handle stress.
This score shows how often and how harshly employees are criticized and how often they have to deal with stressful situations. The stress level goes down as the score goes down.
20. Environmental Economist
An environmental economist has a stress tolerance of 52. This job pays an average of $105,630. Protecting the environment is a big part of this job.
The environmental economist looks at how much rules and policies affect the environment cost and how much good they do. They also publish their findings. Even though this job requires a graduate degree, it is high-impact, pays well, and is not too stressful.
21. Orthodontist
An orthodontist’s job is to fix the way a person’s teeth fit together and look. Even though this field requires a lot of schooling, it is worth looking into because the median salary is $208,000 and the stress tolerance is 67.
22. Computer and Information Research Scientist
Researching and finding ways to fix computer hardware and software are part of this job. Our world has become digital, so this is a safe job. The median income for this job is $131,000, and the median salary is $66.
23. Political Scientist
Politics and how they are handled in governments are what political scientists study. They look at how each came to be, how it works, and how it changed over time. This helps with both foreign relations and making plans for the future.
For an entry-level job, you need at least a bachelor’s degree, but with a stress tolerance of 61 and a median salary of $122,000, that seems like an easy requirement.
24. Computer Hardware Engineer
This job is for you if you know how to build, research, and design computer systems and parts and like to do so.
A computer hardware engineer also builds and tests prototypes, makes sure that computer equipment is up to date for new software, and writes down the details of how a computer system works. This job has a median salary of $128k and a stress tolerance of 66.
25. Actuary
An actuary is someone who looks at risks. Insurance companies do most of this work. Even though an actuary has to deal with stressful situations, like figuring out how likely things like death, sickness, disability, and accidents are to happen, the job itself has a stress tolerance of 70. The median salary for a job in education that requires a bachelor’s degree is $105,000.
26. Economist
The economy affects every part of life. An economist helps solve problems in the economy by studying how the goods and services we need are made and distributed and by coming up with plans to fix any problems that might happen.
This job has a stress tolerance of 64 and a median salary of $105,000. If you have this job, you can relax at the end of the day by getting a massage that makes you feel good.
27. Mathematician
It’s all about the numbers in this job. Mathematicians do research, use mathematical theories, and analyze data to solve problems in many different industries. They have a low-stress tolerance of 56 and make an average of $108,000 per year.
28. Computer Network Architect
Computer network builders help build and plan the networks that make all of our technology useful.
They help us make plans for what to do if the network goes down, update our hardware, and do many other things that keep us connected. With a mean salary of $120,000, the stress tolerance is 71.
29. Chief Sustainability Officer
In this job, it’s all about being able to keep going. CSOs help companies see problems that could help the management, workers, customers, and shareholders. They look at energy and how to save resources.
This helps the company as a whole work better. The level of stress tolerance is 74, and the average salary is $179,000. Every job does have bad days too. An elliptical machine at home can help you get rid of stress.
30. Wind Energy Operations Managers
Wind energy is one way that our country can stay around for a long time. Managers of wind energy operations find potential sources of wind energy and make plans for how to use them.
They look at how much these energy sources cost and how much they could be used. 75 is the level of stress tolerance, and the average salary is $124,000.
FAQs
What Are the Least Stressful Jobs That Pay Well?
According to information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other reliable sources, massage therapists, freelance photographers, choreographers, theatrical and performance makeup artists, hearing aid specialists, and computer support specialists are some of the low-stress jobs that pay well.
Remember that it’s almost impossible to find well-paying jobs that don’t cause a lot of stress. The jobs we’ve talked about pay well and aren’t too stressful, which is good news.
Are There Any Stress-Free Jobs That Pay Well?
Well, it’s almost impossible to find well-paying jobs that don’t cause a lot of stress. But you can turn your favorite hobby into a job and make a good living while having less stress and being happier.
Photography, art, traveling, playing musical instruments, painting and drawing, gaming, and gardening are all hobbies that can help you make money.
What Job Has the Least Amount of Stress?
Most of the best low-stress jobs that pay well are ones that are based on a person’s hobbies.
But massage therapists, freelance photographers, choreographers, theatrical and achievement make-up artists, hearing aid specialists, and tech support specialists get paid well and have less stress on the job.
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Conclusions
There are many jobs that pay well and don’t require a college degree. Most of them also don’t cause too much stress. That doesn’t mean you’ll never have to deal with anything stressful. Especially if you have a job like being a flight attendant where you have to talk to people all the time. People can be…off the rails. But most of the time at work will be easy-going.
Since not many people want to do these jobs, there will be little or no competition for open positions. This means that companies are willing to pay more to fill these positions. And during the job interview, you might even get some extra perks. Don’t forget that no one wants to do these jobs anymore.
As long as you show up and show that you can always do great work, your boss will respect you. More than you need them, they need you. In these fields, this is how things are on the job market right now.
If you choose a job from this list, you’ll have a good-paying job with lots of room for growth. And you won’t have to wait years to get a job. You might have to study for a year to get it.