The 20 best ‘squiggly' careers where you don't need a degree and can earn £60,000 a year

The Sun

2 days ago

FED up of your 9-5 and want a job that teaches you new skills, doesn't require a degree, and best of all offers a decent salary?
A "squiggly" career could be exactly what you are looking for - we reveal the top 20 best paying jobs you can apply for NOW and earn up to £60,000 a year.
7
7
A squiggly career is a job where you can move easily between different roles or industries.
They are very different from more traditional jobs which require you to have certain degrees or qualifications, and then you climb up the ladder in that one industry.
Squiggly careers are in high demand, because workers want the flexibility to be able to shake up their career and do something different, Natalie Ellis from the HR consultancy Rebox HR says.
Shockingly, almost half of all the UK's workforce are dreaming of switching their career but don't know which path to take, according to research by HR advisory firm LHH.
Squiggly careers are perfect to help with a career switch up, and also provide better job security than more traditional jobs - so if you're in the unfortunate position of losing your job, it's easier to transition to another role.
Best of all, many squiggly jobs don't require you to have a degree - which is great for those looking to make a career switch without having to take a pay cut or go back to university.
"The focus from the gig economy is shifting once more, and the spotlight is firmly on squiggle jobs," Natalie says.
"These roles are an attractive proposition - you can earn competitive salaries without spending years and thousands of pounds on university fees.
"Roles such as plumber, electrician and carpenter offer great pay and job security, ranging from £30,000 to £50,000 annually."
Jobs site CV-Library has listed the top 20 highest paying squiggly careers which don't require a degree.
Some require training - although many provide it on-the-job so you can earn while you learn.
Otherwise, you can get the qualifications for some of the jobs through evening courses, so you don't have to give up your salary.
You might be able to sign up to a free course to get the skills needed to move into a squiggly career of your choice too - but it depends on where you live and how far you're willing to travel.
You can find free courses in your local area via the National Careers Service website.
See if your dream job is on our list:
'I DOUBLED my salary by ditching my Army job and switching to a squiggly career'
SHANE FOOTE packed in his job in the Army to move into a squiggly career as a HGV driver - and has DOUBLED his salary.
Shane, 28, earned £21,500 as an infantryman, but grew tired of the gruelling work schedule.
He switched careers and is now a crane operator. He earns between £40,000-£50,000 a year, depending on which jobs he takes on.
"The only regret I have is not doing it sooner," he said.
"When I was in the Army I was getting 30 hours at home all week, travelling home on Friday night and had Saturday and travelling back Sunday.
"While I was there I had no money, was in debt, I was just unhappy. Two years after getting out, I bought my first house, got out of debt, and with my HGV licence I've got an influx of work."
Shane got the job after putting a post out on LinkedIn saying he was looking to get out of the Army.
He was tagged in posts mentioning Veterans into Logistics, which helps soldiers make a shift out of the armed forces.
He took a 10-day course to get his HGV Class 1 Licence and the cost was covered by Veterans into Logistics - he just had to pay for the theory test.
"The course was five days of manoeuvres off-road and five days on-road.
"But you can get it done earlier (if you're good enough).
"Veterans into Logistics runs the course. Part A, off road manoeuvres they have their own tester.
"But for the on-road test, you go to get a test done like a DVLA car testing office."
"I didn't pay anything to get the licence, all I paid for was the theory test which was about £40 - Veterans into Logistics funded the whole thing.
"While I was still serving in the Army, living in the barracks, you always hear the grass is greener doing other work.
"It didn't take me long to realise the grass is bright green."
People looking to get into HGV driving might also be eligible for free government-funded "Skills Bootcamps" that last 16 weeks.
You can apply for these bootcamps directly through training providers. Find providers by searching on the National Careers Service website.
Highest paying squiggle careers hiring NOW
Train driver - £60,850
The highest-paying role that tops CV-Library's list is a train driver.
Someone in this role typically works between 35 to 40 hours a week - and you may need to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
For that reason, it might not be well-suited to you if you're after more of a 9-5-type role.
There are three main avenues into landing a train driver role - as an apprentice, applying directly or working your way up from a junior role like a train conductor.
You can move into this type of role if you have experience as a depot driver too.
Train driver apprenticeship wages vary, but you can start on around £24,000 a year, rising to £60,000 when fully qualified.
While salaries for train conductors are worth as much as £36,000.
There are only around 58 train driver roles available out there though, so places will be competitive.
Carpenter - £45,527
Next on the list is a carpenter, which is one of the most sought-after trades roles and pays an average wage of £45,527.
Your day job will include working with wood, such as making, fixing and installing furniture, flooring, roof rafters and staircases.
Someone who is details-oriented, enjoys working with their hands and isn't sold on the idea of a desk job would be well-suited to this job.
If you've got experience in cabinetry, furniture making or the construction sector more broadly, you could make the transition to carpentry more easily.
You'll typically work 40 to 45 hours a week, and may have to do the occasional weekend or evening shift.
The main route into becoming a carpenter is as an apprentice, where you can earn anywhere between £15k and £24k a year at the start of your career.
There are just under 3,000 carpentry jobs available on the Adzuna website, so plenty to choose from.
It cost the charity £3,147 to put him through the course, but the price of getting this type of licence can vary between £2,500 to £3,500.
Plumber - £44,529
Another trade offering big bucks is plumbing work - but you'll have to work up to 45 hours a week.
You'll be installing and repairing water and heating systems in homes and commercial buildings. It will suit those who like using their hands and are analytical.
The most common route into plumbing is to start out as an apprentice.
An apprentice plumber earns around £24,000 a year, rising up to anywhere around £44,000 and upwards as they gain experience.
Fancy this type of job? There are 3,816 roles out there to choose from currently.
If you've got prior experience working in construction, or generally working a hands-on role, a swap to plumbing could suit you.
HGV driver - £41,891
Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers transport goods from one location to another, earning on average £41,891.
You become an HGV driver by obtaining a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), which costs between £400 and £500.
You get one of these by passing five tests and taking 35 hours of Driver CPC training every five years to stay qualified.
Just bear in mind, if you're a social butterfly this type of job might not be for you - it can involve long hours on the road on your own.
Many employers will pay bonuses for rewarding good driving. For example, Travis Perkins gives a bonus of up to £2,400 a year if you drive safely.
There are 3,591 HGV driver roles to choose from if this type of career matches your skill set.
Previous experience working a role driving vans or buses can make it easier to segway into a career as an HGV driver.
Estate agent - £40,174
7
Estate agents earn on average around £40,000 a year, and you don't need any formal qualifications to become one.
You can boost your chances of getting a job by studying for a university degree like property management - although it's not essential.
The job involves assisting clients in buying and selling their homes, guiding them through the process from start to finish.
You might also have to find rental properties for someone to move into, or help a landlord source tenants.
A typical working week is 35 to 40 hours. Natural extroverts who are persistent, competitive and self-motivated will feel at home in this type of role.
Jobs are a bit fewer and far between though - there are just under 1,500 out there to choose from currently.
If you've got work experience in sales, customer service or admin, this could help you land a role as an estate agent.
Builder - £36,689
A builder coordinates tradespeople and the day-to-day logistics of a construction project.
They generally earn an average salary of just over £36,000.
They might also have to muck in by bricklaying, plastering or installing insulation.
An apprenticeship scheme is one of the most common routes into this role, with starting salaries between £15,000 to £25,000.
Love getting your hands dirty and consider yourself well-organised? This might be the role for you, although there are only 233 of the roles going at the minute.
Any previous construction experience will put you in good stead if you're looking to get into this type of job.
Electrician - £35,500
Electricians earn up to around £35,000 on average when qualified, but even more depending on experience.
The job suits someone who enjoys practical work, problem-solving and with a strong attention to detail.
Sound like you? Expect to work between 37 and 45 hours a week if you land a job.
The most popular way of making it into this profession is via a college course, which can cost up to £7,000.
Or, you can take the apprenticeship route, where you'll earn around £24k a year at the start.
The role is highly in demand too - there are over 12,000 sparkie jobs out there on the market.
If you've worked in construction, maintenance or engineering before, it'll be easier to make the swap to electrician work.
What help is available to help me retrain?
WANT to switch careers but can't afford to retrain? Luckily there's help out there.
You can get an Advanced Learner Loan from your college to help with costs. You will have to pay this back though, and it works like a student loan for those over 19 years old.
What you can get isn't based on income, but the cost of the course. You start paying your loan back when you earn £21,000 or more.
You can apply for grants and bursaries to help pay for courses and training - and you usually don't have to pay this back.
For example, you can get an NHS bursary for medicine, dentistry or healthcare, or a social work bursary for social work.
Look at what help is available on the gov.uk.
See if you can apply to a Skills Bootcamp, which is run by the government.
These are free, flexible courses lasting up to 16 weeks. Courses include HGV driving, health and social care, early years, business and administration, and digital skills like data engineering and software.
See if there's a bootcamp running near you here.
If you're unemployed, Jobcentre Plus may be able to help provide funding or training as part of a return-to-work plan. Ask your local Job Centre Plus centre here.
There are charities who may be able to help with a grant that you don't need to pay back.
For example, ABTA Lifeline helps people who worked in the travel industry get back into work with grants to help with the cost of interview clothes, IT, and travel.
Some Armed Forces charities offer grants if you are or were serving personnel, such as the Royal British Legion and poppyscotland (for those in Scotland). Find if you could get a charitable grant here.
Police officer - £34,512
If you have a strong sense of duty, you might want to consider becoming a police officer.
The average salary is around £34,512 a year but you can end up earning up to £48,000 based on experience.
There are multiple routes into becoming a police constable, including taking the Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP).
This is usually a two-year course where you're paid from the start - you could earn as much as £30,000.
You'll likely have to put in 37 to 40 hours a week in the role - and expect shift work and anti-social hours.
You might have to wait a while to get a job as a police constable though - there are just 20 roles available currently.
Working as a security guard or in the military can help with the transition to the police.
Recruitment consultant - £32,466
7
Think you've got the gift of the gab? Recruitment might be for you.
A recruitment consultant acts as a bridge between job seekers and employers to fill open positions within businesses.
You'll earn around £32,000 on average, but can see your income massively boosted depending on experience and your workplace's commission structure.
The job, which doesn't require any formal qualifications, can involve long hours and working in a highly-competitive environment though.
There are over 6,600 of this type of job on the market currently.
Any previous HR, sales or customer service jobs will help if you're looking to apply to this type of role.
Chef - £31,000
Got a penchant for good food? Work as a chef might be the squiggly job for you.
Experienced chefs can earn up to £40,000 a year but average annual salaries are around £31,000.
The job, depending on where you're based, can involve long hours, mostly in the evenings.
You can take an apprenticeship or college course to become a chef, or you could start off as a kitchen assistant or trainee commis chef and earn while learning on the job.
Kitchen assistants normally start on around the national minimum wage, earning between £17,000 to £25,000 a year.
There are plenty of chef roles out there on the market as well - 16,519 to be exact.
Any previous catering sector experience will help you make the move into becoming a chef.
Sales executive - £30,807
A sales executive focuses on driving sales to a business, either through customers or clients.
Someone in this role will earn on average roughly £30,000 a year, with no formal qualifications needed.
Like recruitment, sales work can be hard work and can involve long hours depending on your employer.
You'll take well to this type of role if you're determined, personable and competitive. There are 12,062 roles to choose from currently too.
Like with recruitment, any prior experience in HR or customer service will give you a boost making the swap into sales.
IT support technician - £30,016
If you love computers and everything technical that goes into making them work, you might be keen on an IT support technician role.
There are various routes into this career, including taking a job as a trainee technician, paying around £24,000, at an organisation and gaining IT support qualifications while you work.
You'll usually need some basic IT skills and knowledge to get a job as a trainee though.
Once you become a support technician, you will earn around £30,000 on average, but can get up to £36,000 a year.
You'll have to respond to customer requests for IT help, find and fix faults and regularly check hardware like printers, projectors and cabling.
The standard working week is up to 40 hours long and you can start off as a trainee technician where you'll be paid around £26k a year.
You might also benefit from getting industry-standard training through organisations like Microsoft Learn and CompTia A+.
On the market, there are currently 1,021 IT support technician roles available.
Having worked at a computer repair shop, in customer service or on a help desk will put you in good stead if you want to transition into this job.
Retail assistant - £29,902
A retail assistant works in a shop, helping customers with queries, scanning items through tills and tidying and putting out stock.
The typical working week is around 37 to 42 hours, with a starting earning around £19,000. This can go up to an average of about £29,000 a year though.
If you're chatty, happy to please and like working in a fast-paced environment, this job could be for you.
You generally won't need any qualifications either and can just dive straight into a job.
According to Adzuna, there are over 4,000 retail assistant jobs on the market currently.
Changing into this type of role will be made all the easier if you've got previous customer service experience.
Parcel delivery driver - £28,562
7
Parcel delivery drivers collect parcels from warehouses and deliver them to customers, usually in their homes.
Average yearly pay isn't too bad either - you can earn around £28,000.
It's an ideal squiggle job as you can benefit from flexible working patterns, working typically between 20 and 42 hours a week.
You can usually apply directly to a role if you have a valid driving licence, with most companies offering free basic onboarding training so you can start earning fast.
Just bear in mind, you might have to pay to cover the costs of running your transportation vehicle.
Fancy this type of job? Unfortunately, there are only 245 of them available currently.
If you've worked as a taxi driver or in logistics, making the move into parcel delivery driving work could be for you.
Healthcare assistant - £28,037
If you're naturally caring and able to stay calm under pressure, you might be keen on becoming a healthcare assistant.
Average salaries are £28,000 a year although you could earn more if you go for private work.
You'll usually work 37 to 40 hours a week and may have to do evenings, weekends and bank holiday shifts.
One of the more common routes into becoming a healthcare assistant is via an apprenticeship, where you'll usually be paid just over the minimum wage (£12.21 an hour for those aged 21 and over) to start off with.
There are plenty of jobs to be filled as well, with 11,113 roles available.
Anyone who has worked in a pharmacy, in social work or has cared for someone before could be well-suited to make the swap into a career as a healthcare assistant.
Administrator - £27,016
If you've got a basic set of IT skills, strong attention to detail and are a good communicator, you might want to consider becoming an administrator.
The average pay for one is around £27,000 a year, but salaries can vary depending on the type of role.
For example, pensions administrators earn around £23k - £38k a year while arts administrators earn up to £32k a year.
Or, a basic admin assistant will start on an annual salary of around £21,000 a year.
One of the easiest ways into becoming an admin assistant is through a recruitment agency - this can then lead to a permanent job.
Employers are on the hunt for administrators as well - there are more than 15,000 roles on the market.
Anyone with office experience will find it easier transferring into administration work.
Warehouse operative - £26,039
This job involves a lot of physical labour and some heavy lifting, but you can pretty much start earning from the off without too much training.
Average salaries are around £26,000 a year, however pay goes up to as much as £30,000 dependant on experience.
You could clock up to 48 hours a week though so bear that in mind if you're after something not so demanding.
On the market, there are currently 14,810 warehouse operative roles going.
If you've got experience working a physical job, like in a depot or in construction, becoming a warehouse operative will be all the easier.
Construction labourer - £25,624
7
A labourer digs trenches, mixes mortar and concrete and operates construction equipment.
Most of the time, you can learn on the job, with wages averaging out at around £25,000 a year.
A typical working week is around 40 hours long, but you may have to work evenings and weekends, depending on the job.
Someone who doesn't mind getting dirty and enjoys manual labour would be well-suited to this type of job.
There doesn't appear to be a major demand for this type of role currently though - just 251 jobs are going.
Any experience working a physical labour job, even gardening, will help you make the swap into the construction industry.
Hairdresser/Barber - £24,500
Fancy yourself as the next Vidal Sassoon?
You might be able to start work as a trainee hairdresser or barber and learn on the job, earning around £15,000 a year.
Your employer would expect you to take a part-time course to get qualifications though, either at college or in their own training school.
You may also be able to work freelance and rent space in a salon or barbershop, though you'll usually have to fork out for your own equipment.
A typical working week is around 37 to 40 hours long and it goes without saying, but may have to work evening or weekend shifts.
But an experienced hairdresser can earn up to £30,000 a year. There are currently 777 hairdresser roles on the market.
If you have ever worked as a nail technician, makeup artist or in a customer-facing position, making the move into a hairdressing career might be for you.
Barista - £21,500
Caffeine addict? You can get a job as a barista almost fuss free and without a formal qualification.
One of the easiest routes to a job is by applying directly.
When you start, most bosses will put you through barista training as part of your employment.
Having experience in customer service, retail sales or catering may give you a better chance of landing a job in the first place though.
Experienced baristas, who can work anywhere between 40 and 42 hours, earn on average £21,500 a year.
Currently on the market, there are just over 10,000 barista roles going.
Anyone who has worked in a customer-facing role before should be able to transition to barista work without fuss.
How to make the perfect CV and smash your job interview
JAMES Neave, head of data science at Adzuna, reveals his top tips...
Showcase your wins, not your duties
Your CVs should prove to your future employer how you can ace the role, instead of what you did in the past.
Focus on achievements, results, and measurable impact.
Use numbers and percentages wherever possible e.g. Replace 'managed all social media platforms' with 'Grew social media followers by 50% in 3 months'.
Practice, don't wing it
Interview nerves are normal, even the most charismatic person needs some degree of preparation because jobs might be alike, but not identical.
Utilise AI tools like ChatGPT as a starting point to research the company, industry trends and common questions.
Content is king, but don't forget about strategy
Great CV and interview answers matter, so does strategy.
This could mean being among the first to apply or running social media background checks on your interviewers.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [e-mail].