Six-figure salaries without a college degree: These are the high-paying jobs universities don’t want you to know about

The warnings from leaders in the field of artificial intelligence are deeply unsettling, especially for young people planning their educational futures. In an interview on CNN, Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic and former Vice President of Research at OpenAI, told Anderson Cooper that within one to five years, AI could eliminate up to 50 percent of jobs and push unemployment as high as 20 percent.

Amodei also noted that college graduates are likely to be significantly affected. Recent graduates may be in one of the most vulnerable positions, as many entry-level jobs that existed just a few years ago are now being replaced by AI. Independent journalist Brian Merchant echoed these concerns in a May post on their Substack, highlighting troubling trends in the labor market that suggest job opportunities for younger workers may already be shrinking. Unemployment among this demographic has been rising since 2015. While some of this is due to pandemic-related disruptions, the trend has continued even as many of those issues have subsided.

In the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are roughly 10 occupations that do not require a college degree and offer a median income above $100,000. Of those 10, 3—nuclear power reactor operators, power distributors and dispatchers, and electrical and electronics repairers—are projected to experience either a decline in job numbers or slower growth compared to other fields.

Is a college degree worth it?

For those considering whether a college degree is still worth pursuing, the answer is likely yes. On average, individuals with a college degree earn about 68 percent more than those with only a high school diploma. Beyond financial returns, higher education can offer personal growth and opportunities that extend beyond the job market. However, as tuition costs continue to rise, these benefits may not always outweigh the significant economic burden. The debate over who should attend college, what they should study, and what the true value of a degree is has become increasingly polarized.

Examining other developed economies reveals a stark contrast: many countries do not impose the exorbitant tuition fees prevalent in the U.S. While college remains a significant financial investment, it is often more accessible and less risky in terms of long-term debt. In the United States, just over half of the adults between the ages of 25 and 36 have a college or technical degree. In Canada, that figure is 66 percent, in the United Kingdom it is 57 percent, and in the Netherlands it is 56 percent, according to the OECD.

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