The reigning assumption among many Americans is that teenagers go directly from high school to college, but that’s not the way life always works. Just 27 percent of Americans over age 25 hold Bachelor’s degrees or higher, according to 2004 census data. This has been in decline because of a new phenomenon in the job market.

?Increasingly, the days of blue-collar jobs that have lower educational and skill requirements but pay an outstanding wage are disappearing,” said Jerry Rubin, vice president of Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit research group that works with agencies to create job training programs.

But lack of a college degree doesn’t have to mean slogging for a pittance in a dead-end job, according to a recent report by JFF. The report details 15 jobs, all in growing industries, that pay more than $25,000 per year, are available to workers holding an Associate degree or less and don’t require a significant amount of previous work experience.

For instance, “registered nurse” tops the list of 15 jobs because it has the greatest number of projected annual job openings, but that job poses barriers for some lower-skilled entrants because this field tends to be highly competitive and requires full-time attendance at school. An alternative is to become a licensed practical nurse, another job on the list. Certification is often available through part-time training programs, making that occupation a more manageable entry point into the nursing field for working mothers or those needing to support a family.

? Together, these 15 occupations are projected to create more than 700,000 new jobs nationally each year, according to JFF.
? The jobs in the list are ranked by annual projected job openings.
? The dollar amount represents median earnings for each occupation, according to JFF.

1. Registered nurse,$48,090
2. Customer-service representative, $26,240
3. Sales representative, $42,730
4. Truck driver, heavy and tractor-trailer, $33,210
5. Maintenance worker, general, $29,370
6. Bookkeeping, accounting, $27,380
7. Executive secretary/administrative assistant, $33,410
8. Carpenter, $34,190
9. Automotive-service technician and mechanic, $30,590
10. Police/patrol officer, $42,270
11. Licensed practical nurse, $31,440
12. Electrician, $41,390
13. Sales workers, $35,170
14. Computer-support specialist, $39,100
15. Plumber, pipe fitter and steam fitter, $40,170

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