The average cost for a four-year degree at in-state tuition rates is $40,000. That’s four years of going to school full time, versus being able to work full time. In effect, this means the true cost of college is not just how much you pay for it, but also how much income you aren’t generating for those four years.
And the harsh reality is that while statistics show college graduates earn more on average than non-college grads, this is not always the case. The workforce is filled with employees who hold degrees yet barely make ends meet. Meanwhile, the opposite is true, too. There are legions of workers raking in sizable incomes despite having no degrees whatsoever!
In fact, here’s 10 of them…
1. Plumbers
You mean the person who unclogs your overflowing commode is pulling in over $100k a year? Possibly. The national average cost to unclog a toilet is $110–$275. Unclogging a sink drain can run $110–$215.
Consider there are roughly 261 work days in a year. A city plumber who clears out one toilet and one drain per day for 261 days a year can earn well over $100,000 annually.
With a vocational training from a local trade school, a plumbing apprentice starts getting paid while simultaneously mastering their craft. Once the apprenticeship is over, they may obtain a license and open their own business!