20 highest paying jobs in 2025 where you don’t need a degree – you could earn up to £77,000
THE highest paying jobs of 2025 have been revealed - and you can earn more than £77,000 without a degree.
If you're tired of working hard for little reward, the New Year might be the perfect time for a career change.
Jobs site Adzuna has rounded up the 20 roles set to have the highest wages next year - and even better, you don't need a degree to do them.
Many of the roles just require a diploma in a certain discipline or experience in a specific area.
Many roles could be great options for workers in similar industries or looking for a career change.
THE TOP JOBS
Coming out on top for jobs not requiring a University qualification were AI product managers, who earn an average of £77,343.
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An artificial intelligence (AI) product manager oversees the creation and improvement of products that use artificial intelligence.
This includes working closely with data scientists to develop products and overseeing the development of new AI models.
To do this job, you will need to have experience in product management, a strong understanding of data science and teamwork skills.
The second highest paid is a real estate associate, which takes home £75,599.
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Real estate associate is a professional who assists clients in buying, selling, and renting properties.
Their role involves providing legal advice and negotiating deals.
Anyone wishing to do this may need to complete a legal apprenticeship or or train as a legal administrator or paralegal.
You will also need to have passed your Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).
The third top spot is an automation tester, which earns an average of £73,622.
You will need to have a proficiency in programming languages like Typescript, JavaScript or C#.
Tools to use to help you write your CV
HERE are some tools and apps that can help you put together your CV:
- Resume app: If you struggle formatting your CV, you can choose from 21 templates in the Resume app to help you. And once you've put it together, you can export it as a PDF directly to your email. Resume is free to download and use, but has additonal premimum options that you can pay for.
- Grammarly: It's important to get your spelling and grammar accurate, so run your CV through a tool such as Grammarly to check for any errors. It's free to download straight to your desktop.
- Vizualize.me: If you've got an exisiting LinkedIn account, Vizualize.me takes the data and turns it into a timeline of your employment history and a breakdown of your skills. The free tool has six different themes so it's a good option to make your CV look visually appealing as well.
- VisualCV: As well as making your CV look eye catching, VisualCV also makes sure it can be read by electronic systems that some recruiters use to filter CVs. It's also free to sign up for.
In this job, you will need to use automated tools and techniques to test software applications.
Their primary goal is to ensure that software functions correctly and efficiently by identifying bugs, errors, and performance issues.
At the other end of the top 20, but still with a generous salary, is a prompt engineer.
A prompt engineer is a professional who specialises in designing, refining, and optimising prompts for AI.
For this job, experience working with AI is essential.
Meanwhile, a personal track safety (PTS) electrician could take home slightly more at £51,895 and a private personal assistant could get £53,856.
A PTS electrician performs electrical work on or near railway tracks and infrastructure.
You need to have a Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installation, or the equivalent qualification, and a driving licence to do this role.
While a private personal assistant helps an individual with their daily tasks and organisation, especially if they have a busy or important lifestyle.
Tasks include handling emails, phone calls, and letters, as well as scheduling and managing appointments, meetings, and events.
Some of the more random jobs included an air traffic controller (£59,693), train driver (£46,090) and crane crew supervisor (£44,157).
Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adunza, said: "A degree is no longer the sole pathway to a well-paying career.
"Industries such as IT, sales, property, construction, engineering, and human resources now offer a wealth of lucrative opportunities for those without traditional academic qualifications.
"As AI continues to reshape the world, forward-thinking jobseekers can consider roles like AI product managers, which offer salaries nearing £78,000."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The highest and lowest-paid jobs of 2024 have been revealed with top company bosses once again taking home the biggest salaries.
Plus, we've also revealed the 20 highest-paying jobs where you don't need a degree.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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