How to Earn Six Figures Without a Masters or Doctorate

Updated: December 2020

If you’re hoping to earn six figures at some point in your career, you may be wondering if an advanced degree is necessary. While an advanced degree can help, it’s not always necessary. In this blog post we will share research from The Ladders with examples of six-figure jobs you may want to target. These jobs do not require a Masters or Doctorate degree. 

Should you or shouldn’t you pursue your MBA?

One question I receive rather frequently is whether or not an MBA or Masters degree is worth it in the world of career advancement. There’s no easy answer to this question because the answer is entirely subjective based on your career goals, target industry, etc.  However if you’re pursuing career advancement in order to earn a higher salary, there are options available that don’t require years of added study or outrageous tuition payments.

The top 10 highest paying professions for graduates without advanced degrees

The Ladders recently released a study that reveals the highest paying professions for graduates with a bachelor’s degree or less. The repot analyzed salary and career data from 1.9 million U.S. professionals without Master’s degrees between 2014 and 2015 and produced the following list of careers based on earning potential, average salary and top earners.  Here are the top 10 highest paying career paths that will have you earning some serious dough with nothing more than a bachelor’s degree (or less in some cases):

1. Sales Operations

• Earning Potential: $213,852 (19% of professionals earned over $150,000 annually)
• Average Entry-Level Salary (Under 5 Years Experience): $77,896
• Target Job Titles: Director of Sales Operations (Avg: $126,000), Sales & Operations Manager (Avg: $86,000).

2. Sales (B2C, B2B)

• Earning Potential: $213,538  (20% of professionals earned over $150,000 annually)
• Average Entry-Level Salary (Under 5 Years Experience):$77,433
• Target Job Titles: Director of Sales, (Avg: $130,000), Regional Sales Director (Avg: $137,000), Account Executive(Avg: $94,000).

 3.Business Development

• Earning Potential: $211,590 (24% of professionals earned over $150,000 annually)
• Average Entry-Level Salary (Under 5 Years Experience): $83,348
• Target Job Titles: Director of Business Development  (Avg: $124,000), Manager, Business Development (Avg: $104,000).

 4.Supply Chain & Logistics

• Earning Potential: $211,458
• Average Entry-Level Salary (Under 5 Years of Experience): $77,573
• Target Job Titles: Director of Logistics (Avg: $120,000), Supply Chain Consultant (Avg: $115,000), Global Supply Chain Manager (Avg: $118,000).

 5.Product & Brand Marketing

• Earning Potential: $211,033 (11% of professionals earned over $150,000 annually)
• Average Entry-Level Salary (Under 5 Years of Experience): $73,583
• Target Job Titles: Senior Brand Manager (Avg: $131,000), Product Marketing Manager (Avg: $103,000).

6. Digital Marketing

• Earning Potential: $209,755
• Average Entry-Level Average (Under 5 Years of Experience): $73,263
• High Earning Jobs: Director of Digital Marketing (Avg: $125,000), Digital Marketing Manager (Avg: $83,000)

7. Public Relations & Communications

• Earning Potential: $209,747
• Average Entry-Level Average (Under 5 Years of Experience): $62,127
• High Earning Jobs: Communications Director (Avg: $100,000), Director of PR (Avg: $96,000).

8. Plan & Facilities Management

• Earning Potential: $209,202
• Average Entry-Level Average (Under 5 Years of Experience): $80,997
• Hot Jobs: Director of Facilities Management (Avg: $108,000).

9. Customer Service

• Earning Potential: $208,577
• Average Entry-Level Average (Under 5 Years of Experience): $62,127
• Target Job Titles: Director of Customer Service (Avg: $107,000).

10. IT Management & Consulting

• Earning Potential: $204,634 (13% of professionals earned over $150,000 annually)
• Average Entry-Level Average (Under 5 Years of Experience): $93,328
• Target Job Titles: Director of Project Management (Avg: $128,000), IT Project Manager  (Avg: $100,000), IT Consultant (Avg: $97,000).

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