# What jobs pay the most money for the least education? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 30, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399 "2006-10-30T03:39:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/61 "2006-10-31T17:23:52Z")
[QUOTE=Enter the Flagon] Actually, the Governator has a degree. From your link: “He earned a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Superior, where he graduated with degrees in international marketing of fitness and business administration in 1979.” [/QUOTE] Arnie’s bio is actually quite impressive. He was a millionaire by the age of 0, and not through bodybuilding or acting. He’s been a world-class competitor, successful businessman, movie star, and high-level politician. What _can’t_ the guy do? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/62 "2006-10-31T17:42:44Z")
[QUOTE=Lizard] As someone whose uncle sold cars for 25 years, I think you’re overstating this a bit. Some people are good at sales because they build genuine trust with customers. In fact, my uncle’s personal policy (not always shared by the dealerships he worked for) was to never lie to anyone about what they were getting. As a result he got a lot of repeat business other guys didn’t get. [/QUOTE] As I stated, **if all you care about is the money** , then you aren’t concerned about the quality of the product, whether the mark needs it or can afford it, or anything else except closing the deal. Again, the ultimate salesperson is the con artist, who is playing on your greed and selling you nothing but illusion. I think it would be a pretty empty life, but there are a lot of people who believe that money equals success and nothing else matters very much. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/63 "2006-10-31T18:12:21Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] As I stated, **if all you care about is the money** , then you aren’t concerned about the quality of the product, whether the mark needs it or can afford it, or anything else except closing the deal. Again, the ultimate salesperson is the con artist, who is playing on your greed and selling you nothing but illusion. I think it would be a pretty empty life, but there are a lot of people who believe that money equals success and nothing else matters very much. [/QUOTE] But there are a lot of jobs where people are only in it for the money and I do not think the sales field is any exception. Where I work there is a retired doctor, a couple of business owners, and others. One of my good friends here actually took a 100k pay cut to work here, just because he wanted to do this. It is not an empty life. I enjoy what I do, do not really consider myself a sociopath (though others may say differently), and I DO NOT VIEW MONEY AS SUCCESS. Perhaps you have had some bad experiences in the past? Poor you. Back to the OP… ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/64 "2006-10-31T19:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=FormerMarineGuy] But there are a lot of jobs where people are only in it for the money and I do not think the sales field is any exception. Where I work there is a retired doctor, a couple of business owners, and others. One of my good friends here actually took a 100k pay cut to work here, just because he wanted to do this. It is not an empty life. I enjoy what I do, do not really consider myself a sociopath (though others may say differently), and I DO NOT VIEW MONEY AS SUCCESS. Perhaps you have had some bad experiences in the past? Poor you. Back to the OP… [/QUOTE] Sorry if I touched a nerve there FMG. I think the are two basic business philosophies. Most businesses want the customer to return, so they will try to deal fairly, but there are those who seem to figure they only need one shot and they try to milk each customer for all they can get. I didn’t single out any particular sales field and, as a matter of fact, my step-son manages a store for a fairly large auto dealership in the south. He enjoys his job and he’s good at it. He also depends upon repeat business. The OP wanted to know what jobs pay the most for the least education, and I think sales is the obvious answer. A salesperson may believe in their product/service, they may care about the customer, because they want repeat business and to build blue sky, but the bottom line is that they earn their keep on commissions. ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/65 "2006-10-31T21:23:17Z")
[QUOTE=A.R. Cane] Sorry if I touched a nerve there FMG. I think the are two basic business philosophies. Most businesses want the customer to return, so they will try to deal fairly, but there are those who seem to figure they only need one shot and they try to milk each customer for all they can get. I didn’t single out any particular sales field and, as a matter of fact, my step-son manages a store for a fairly large auto dealership in the south. He enjoys his job and he’s good at it. He also depends upon repeat business. The OP wanted to know what jobs pay the most for the least education, and I think sales is the obvious answer. A salesperson may believe in their product/service, they may care about the customer, because they want repeat business and to build blue sky, but the bottom line is that they earn their keep on commissions. [/QUOTE] No nerves hit at all. Just trying to hit on the fact that not all sales people are as portrayed. The salespeople who consistently make 150k a year (at one dealership, not moving place to place) are the ones who want repeat business and treat their customers correctly. This pertains to all sales. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/66 "2006-11-01T18:31:04Z")
Auto mechanics make a good living. On job training. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/67 "2006-11-02T05:09:21Z")
[QUOTE=gonzomax] Auto mechanics make a good living. On job training. [/QUOTE] Heh, the manager at Pep Boys, when I asked him how business was (while getting my brakes worked on last week) replied “Auto repairs and medical care, two things people can’t do without.” ---
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/68 "2006-11-02T17:40:08Z")
Legal secretary. Pay can be very good - not even marginally dangerous - hours are generally reasonable. Benefits are typically generous, and at large firms in major markets (once you have experience) you can make 70 - 90K. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/69 "2006-11-02T18:07:31Z")
We got a Dish Satellite installed yesterday, and my husband was chatting with the installer. My husband was laid off from a Tool and Die shop and the installer used to work in Tool and Die too, so they got to talking. He has been working for Dish for about a year now, and he said he averages about $1500-2000 per week. I guess the hourly rate is low, like $9, but after a few months you get paid for “piece work” as he called it, assembling the satellites, and then paid per install. If you get smart about scheduling and good at installs, the potential is there to make good money. You just need your own vehicle and a little techinical ability. So now my husband is thinking about applying there as a job while he decides what career direction to go in, or while he goes back to school. I never thought they could make that much. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/70 "2006-11-02T18:42:41Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Hm, I don’t really have a job. Interesting. Here I’ve been working mornings, afternoons, and evenings, five to seven days a week; keeping old clients happy and cultivating new ones; paying expenses and taxes (15% Social Security compared to the 7.5% that wage slaves pay); keeping my computer maintained; reading trade publications; providing my own vacation pay, sick pay (I might add that when I “call in sick,” the work is still there the next day), It seems that folks who own their own business consider it a “real job” (and might feel a bit prickly when it’s implied otherwise), but I’m not sure the OP meant that business ownership \*isn’t \*a job… just that you do have to deal with all the bullshit you mentioned, and I think the OP’s looking for tips on a new career where s/he _doesn’t_ have to start a business. Just a “job” - the way us ordinary working folks consider it to be - like, one where you go to work, put in your time, get paid and go home, as opposed to one where you are responsible for all your bennies etc. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/71 "2006-11-02T19:53:31Z")
[QUOTE=Oregon sunshine] It seems that folks who own their own business consider it a “real job” (and might feel a bit prickly when it’s implied otherwise), but I’m not sure the OP meant that business ownership \*isn’t \*a job… just that you do have to deal with all the bullshit you mentioned, and I think the OP’s looking for tips on a new career where s/he _doesn’t_ have to start a business. Just a “job” - the way us ordinary working folks consider it to be - like, one where you go to work, put in your time, get paid and go home, as opposed to one where you are responsible for all your bennies etc. [/QUOTE] So, in other words, starting/owning your own business isn’t a job… because it’s an ADVENTURE! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/72 "2006-11-03T01:54:48Z")
Friend of mine is working seasonal for UPS and he says that the starting wage for a driver is $17/hour and tops out at $27/hour in 2.5 years–and there are full bennies. All you need for this is a fairly clean driving record, a fairly strong back and no facial hair… ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399/73 "2006-11-03T06:17:36Z")
I’ve got to agree with lots of people saying that being in sales is a good example. Author Augusten Burroughs claims that he made hundreds of thousands of dollars working for an ad agency, and he never came close to graduating high school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-jobs-pay-the-most-money-for-the-least-education/378399.md?page=3)