Not everyone needs a four-year college degree to get into the middle class (although it certainty helps). There are plenty of occupations that don’t require a degree, in which a good portion of the workers earn enough to be classified as “middle-class”. I’m not saying these occupations pay well right off the bat, but they do have the potential to pay experienced workers at least $40,000 a year - which was the median annual wage in 2019. Per the Occupational Outlook Handbook’s “Occupation Finder”, here are a few of those occupations*:
No formal education requirement
Cement masons and concrete finishers, Cooks, institution and cafeteria, Industrial truck and tractor operators, Painters, construction and maintenance, Refuse and recyclable material collectors, Roofers, Construction laborers, Landscaping and groundskeeping workers, Floor sanders and finishers, Rock splitters, quarry, Painting, coating, and decorating workers, Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders, Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons, Machine feeders and offbearers, Fence erectors, Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters, Helpers--carpenters, Butchers and meat cutters, Helpers--roofers, Grounds maintenance workers, Helpers, construction trades, Material moving workers, Building cleaning workers, Cooks, Rotary drill operators, oil and gas, Derrick operators, oil and gas, Drywall and ceiling tile installers, Plasterers and stucco masons, Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tile, Tapers, Continuous mining machine operators, Tank car, truck, and ship loaders, Paperhangers, Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall.
High School Diploma or Equivalent **
Billing and posting clerks, Maintenance and repair workers, general, Medical secretaries, Receptionists and information clerks, Social and human service assistants, First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers, Light truck or delivery services drivers, Pharmacy technicians, First-line supervisors of personal service workers, Office and administrative support workers, Industrial truck and tractor operators, Refuse and recyclable material collectors, Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, Bus drivers, transit and intercity, Chefs and head cooks, Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors, Flight attendants, Food service managers, Industrial machinery mechanics, Insurance claims and policy processing clerks, Insurance sales agents, Loan interviewers and clerks, Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, Production, planning, and expediting clerks, Property, real estate, and community association managers, Real estate sales agents, Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products, Sheet metal workers, Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers, First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers, First-Line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, Police and sheriff’s patrol officers, First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Postsecondary non-degree award
Phlebotomists, Emergency medical technicians and paramedics, Medical assistants, Firefighters, Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, Audio and video equipment technicians, Massage therapists, Dental assistants, Barbers, Psychiatric technicians, Ophthalmic medical technicians, Surgical technologists, Computer numerically controlled machine tool programmers, metal and plastic, Wind turbine service technicians, Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, miscellaneous, Medical records and health information technicians, Health technologists and technicians, miscellaneous, Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, Aircraft mechanics and service technicians, Court reporters
Associates Degree
Agricultural and food science technicians, Architectural and civil drafters, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Chemical technicians, Civil engineering technicians, Environmental engineering technicians, Environmental science and protection technicians, including health, Funeral service managers, Geological and petroleum technicians, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Mechanical engineering technicians, Medical equipment repairers, Nuclear medicine technologists, Radiation therapists, Engineering technicians, except drafters, Computer network support specialists, Dental hygienists, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Occupational therapy assistants, Paralegals and legal assistants, Physical therapist assistants, Preschool teachers, except special education, Radiologic technologists, Respiratory therapists, Veterinary technologists and technicians, Web developers, Life, physical, and social science technicians, miscellaneous
—
* Most of the above occupations are linked to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) site. I chose occupations where at least a quarter of workers could expect to earn $40,000 a year or more, based on the median pay information provided by OOH. On average, US workers in the top 25% of their occupation earn 1.25 times the median wage, so if the median annual wage for an occupation is $32,000, wages in the top 25% would be at least $40,000. Since earnings typically increase with age, workers in the top 25-50% of an occupation’s pay range tend to be middle-aged or older.
** Note that this information is from a federal database. However, occupational requirements vary somewhat by state, local government and employer.