13 High Paying Tech Careers You Can Get Without A College Degree

Who said you need a college degree to earn the big bucks? It’s a common misconception that if you don’t have a bachelor’s, you’ll be stuck in minimum wage all your life. In reality, there are plenty of jobs out there that won’t make you take out a billion student loans. Here are 13 lucrative tech jobs you can land without a four-year degree.

All data has been taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unless otherwise noted.

1. Computer user support specialist

Median annual wage, 2015: $48,620 (BLS)

Computer user support specialists provide technical assistance to users by answering questions or resolving computer problems. This can be in person, through telephone or electronically (over chat messaging or email).


2. Junior data analyst

Median annual wage: $52,188 (Payscale)

Data is so hot right now that even entry-level analysts can make good money. Usually, junior analysts are the ones who conduct searches for data, create Excel spreadsheets and generate material for analysis, and present their findings to more senior colleagues, who handle the bulk of the more complex work. Some jobs do require a degree to enter the field; others do not.

3. Computer network support specialists

Median annual wage, 2015: $62,250 (BLS)

Computer network support specialists are responsible for keeping networks running smoothly. They test, troubleshoot, analyze, perform maintenance, and solve network problems. Usually you’ll need a certificate or associate’s degree to enter this career.

4. Digital marketer

Median annual wage: $63,239 (Payscale)

Marketing via the Internet is one of the primary ways companies reach customers in the 21st century. Digital marketers enable this in a variety of ways: search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), social media marketing, content marketing, e-mail marketing, and others. Often a digital marketer will specialize in only one or two of these areas.

5. Cyber security analysts (entry level)

Median annual wage: $63,911 (Payscale)

Many cyber security professionals who obtain four-year degrees head straight for the higher-up positions after graduating, leaving companies with a dearth of entry-level workers to handle a lot of the day-to-day. Junior cyber security analysts handle the “grunt work” like reviewing logs, controlling network settings, doing basic testing, etc.

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Top 5 Networking Challenges and How Network Testing Can Help

New advancements in dedicated network test technologies can help alleviate some of the growing pressures network engineers face.

Network engineers have an increasingly important — and challenging — role to play in keeping a company’s network operating smoothly. In addition to the basic duties of designing, deploying and troubleshooting today’s complex networks, they’re also tasked with configuring security systems, monitoring performance, and understanding and implementing a broad new set of technologies like software-defined networking, IoT, Cloud and more.

With more responsibility than ever before, it’s no wonder that network engineers — and the technicians on their teams — feel overwhelmed.

In fact, in a recent Spiceworks survey of more than 250 IT pros and MSPs/IT service providers, 40% of respondents cited that they face challenges in network and device deployment, 35% in network management and maintenance, and 28% in network related organization and staffing issues. Across these categories, respondents noted five key challenges impacting their networking operations and testing, including: constant upgrades, security issues, time constraints, monitoring and analysis and finding qualified hires.

Organizations are relying more on solutions that centralize network management and configuration. Engineers are using software tools, such as protocol analyzers, and purchased or home-grown scripts and programs to address their problems. But these tools are often so highly specialized that field technicians cannot be easily be trained or trusted to use them effectively.

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NetAlly Launches EtherScope nXG Handheld Network Testing Solution

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — NetAlly, a provider of handheld testing solutions for wired and wireless access networks, announced the release of EtherScope nXG Portable Network Expert, a powerful handheld network tester that enables network engineers and technicians to quickly discover, test, verify and troubleshoot enterprise access networks. As the first handheld tool to offer a single user interface (UI) that fully integrates both wired and wireless network test data, the EtherScope nXG dramatically increases network visibility, accelerates and simplifies testing, and simplifies team collaboration. This is the first portable tool with the right combination of capabilities to “break the Layer 2 ceiling” – allowing users to easily identify wireless clients not just by MAC address, but by IP, name and type, delivering visibility most Wi-Fi tools cannot provide.

“As today’s networks continue to grow in complexity, network teams often struggle to keep pace. They need better solutions that help streamline their network testing and troubleshooting process,” said Mike Parrottino, CEO at NetAlly. “To help address these challenges, we designed EtherScope nXG to be the most comprehensive and powerful portable network tester available.”

Combining Wired and Wireless Data Analysis

EtherScope nXG’s all new UI combines wired and wireless data analysis and purpose-built hardware to support a broad range of technologies like line-rate 10G (over copper and fiber), NBASE-T, Wi-Fi 5/Wi-Fi 6, and high-power PoE (Power over Ethernet).

Parrottino continues, “With EtherScope nXG’s advanced out-of-the-box auto-testing capabilities, network engineers and technicians get unprecedented visibility that accelerates testing and drives collaboration, all in a truly portable, light weight tool that can easily be brought to problem areas. With it, teams will simply get more done, faster.”

According to a recent Spiceworks survey, IT professionals face a variety of challenges that include implementing planned changes, managing unexpected changes, ensuring network security, and a lack of time and resources. These challenges are caused primarily by the disparity in staff skills and toolsets (between engineers and technicians), and visibility gaps across wired and wireless networks. The EtherScope nXG was designed to overcome these issues with key features and capabilities that enable users to:

Test, Validate and Troubleshoot the Latest Network Technology – Users can assess support for NBASE-T, 10G, Wi-Fi 5/Wi-Fi 6, with advanced Android-based troubleshooting apps and purpose-built test hardware. Additional test capabilities include packet capture at line-rate to 10G, network discovery and path analysis, 24-hour RF traffic analysis, cable testing, and PoE TruePowerTM load testing.

Quickly Verify Performance – The product offers 10G line-rate performance testing for critical servers, uplinks and key end devices over Ethernet, iPerf testing over Wi-Fi or wired links, and testing against another EtherScope nXG or other NetAlly tools for end-to-end tests.

Bridge the Gap Between Engineer and Technician – Users can dive deep to verify, troubleshoot and document complex networks with multiple VLANs and Wi-Fi SSIDs, or take advantage of out-of-the-box AutoTests that require minimal skill and training. Through the EtherScope nXG, offsite engineers can extend their expertise via remote control to collaborate with technicians at distant sites to solve tough problems without the need for travel.

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