5 growing jobs that don't need a college degree

When she was in high school, Kelly Everhard watched older students march off to college, take out thousands of dollars in loans and then graduate into an economy where jobs were scarce.

For Everhard, it didn't make sense. So she skipped college, went to trade school, and learned to repair cars. She now works as production manager at Anthony's Auto Body in Shrewsbury.

"The economy got so bad," said Everhard, 28, of Keyport. "I saw so many people going to college and wasting time and money and not getting anywhere with their career choice."

Some workers at the Shore are turning away from a constant drumbeat from parents, educators and business leaders who point out that the clearest path to success in America is by obtaining a college degree. And they are finding demand for their skills.

It is a risky decision. After all, federal statistics show that U.S. workers with at least a bachelor's degree both have a much lower unemployment rate than workers with just a high school diploma (4 percent versus 7.5 percent in 2013) and make more money ($1,108 a week versus $651 a week in 2013). And Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the late Apple founder Steve Jobs — none of whom earned college degrees — are rarities.

In the Money blog: Is college worth the money?

But career counselors say college isn't for everyone. Workers like Everhard can find employment and earn a living. Although just because they don't go to college doesn't mean their education ends.

Can you get by without a college degree?

"In a word, yes," said Dominic Latorraca, director of the Center for Career Development at Brookdale Community College in Middletown. "You're not going to see many people sit down as we do career advice and suggest that. But what we do suggest is ... take smaller steps getting into the field and from there work at getting into a bigger job with broader responsibilities."

As the school year gets set to begin, the Asbury Park Press, using data from the U.S. Labor Department, looked at five fast-growing occupations that don't require a college degree. And we asked experts for their thoughts.

Here they are:

Real estate brokers and sales agents

What they do: Help clients buy, sell and rent properties.

Median pay in 2012 (half made more, half made less): $41,990 a year.

Job outlook through 2022: Up 11 percent.

Words of wisdom: "Education and continuing education is a huge part of it," said Cindy Marsh-Tichy, president of the New Jersey Association of Realtors, a trade group. "Our profession is like the medical field in that it continually changes. There are new regulations and rules. We need to be up on those things. You need to be extremely well organized. You need to have very good people skills. You need to be a good negotiator. And you need to find your niche within the market."

Electricians

What they do: Install and maintain electrical power, communications, lighting and control systems.

Median pay in 2012: $49,840 a year.

Job outlook through 2022: Up 20 percent.

Words of wisdom: "I look at the background between trade school and some type of apprenticeship school," said Dan Neary, electrical supervisor for NJR Home Services based in Wall. "You're not stuck behind a desk all day. Overall, the guys you meet, and work with, that's what I like. To sit in an office all day would be a little tough. But sometimes you end up in some situations crawling into crawl spaces, and it's in the middle of the summer where the temperatures are well over 100 degrees and you have to work. There are good things and bad things."

Animal care and service workers

What they do: Feed, water, groom, bathe and exercise pets.

Median pay in 2012: $19,970 a year.

Job outlook through 2022: Up 15 percent

Words of wisdom: "I normally tell them to get their experience at the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), volunteer," said Dick Palazzo, owner of Purr'N Pooch, which has pet care centers in Wall and Tinton Falls. "There's many people who walk through the door and love animals, until you start working with them. When you're working with pets, it's misunderstood because the workload is nonstop."

Medical secretary

What they do: Prepare reports for physicians, take medical histories of patients, process insurance payments.

Median pay in 2012: $31,350 a year.

Job outlook through 2022: Up 36 percent

Words of wisdom: "It's a very high-volume office and it's very busy," said Caroline Reilly, patient coordinator for Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat in Neptune. "Everything in our office is electronic. We have to have computer skills, know Microsoft Office. ... It's all a team effort, not just the front desk, but with doctors, medical assistants, surgical coordinators. The office doesn't run smoothly without the help of everybody."

Auto body and glass repairers

What they do: Repair, restore, refinish and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields and window glass.

Median pay in 2012: $37,680 a year.

Job outlook through 2022: Up 13 percent

Words of wisdom: "I love being hands-on; doing something a little different every day; delivering a car knowing it was repaired and you did that; the satisfaction knowing it," Kelly Everhard said. "I've been doing it for six years and love it. I definitely see myself doing it forever."

Michael L. Diamond; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@app.com

WHAT EDUCATION IS REQUIRED?

For more information about educational requirements for jobs, go to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/ooh.