Government Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree (2023)
To be a great candidate for government jobs, no one skill set is necessary. The most important thing is to just keep learning and thinking about how you can apply your knowledge to better serve society.
A good education helps, but it isn’t required to land an awesome government job. Want a career that will provide you with a comfortable living on your terms? Check out these government jobs that pay well without a degree or experience.
15 Government Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree
1. Postal Service Clerk
Jobs at the post office are classified as “exempt,” meaning they don’t require a federal background check. While it’s possible to find more lucrative positions at some other federal agencies, the post office offers decent pay and pension benefits to those who want a job in the mail delivery field.
The postal service has experienced an increase in employees since the Great Recession, and these positions are available nationwide.
What You’ll Be Doing: Delivering mail, working the night shift, and sorting packages. There’s no formal education required for this position, though training is given on the job. You’ll also have to pass a polygraph test. The postal service doesn’t require any experience, so you could go straight to work as a clerk and move up within the organization. Some positions are open for overseas employees who need to relocate.
The average salary for a postal service clerk in the United States of America is $32,278 per year.
2. Financial Clerk
Depending on the level of experience you have, there are also opportunities for you to become a budget or financial analyst at the federal level (though this means that a college degree is required). These positions focus on how agencies spend money and manage their budgets.
What You’ll Be Doing: Working in finance at the federal level can be very rewarding, but it might not seem like fun at first. For example, you might prepare reports for Congress about contract spending or review financial information about specific programs and report on any inefficiencies. The best candidates will know accounting software and can use it to streamline spending across government agencies.
The average salary for a financial clerk in the United States of America is $36,517. The highest-paid earns $49,503 per year.
3. Supply Technician
Supply technicians are usually required to have a college degree, though there’s an option for those who have a technical associate’s degree (or higher).
What You’ll Be Doing: You will be responsible for ordering and maintaining supplies. While there is some flexibility in the hours you’ll work in your first year as an entry-level employee, you’ll generally work from Monday to Friday with no weekends or holidays.
Government supply technicians can often go back to school and get a better-paying job within the federal government if they want to advance in their careers.
The average salary for a supply technician in the United States of America is $40,146, with the top-paid getting $56,057 per year.
4. Accounting Clerk
This is an entry-level position within the federal government that doesn’t require any experience or special skills to apply for. However, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor of Statistics, you will be required to have either a high school diploma, GED, or postsecondary education.
What You’ll Be Doing: As an accounting clerk, you’ll be responsible for basic financial bookkeeping tasks such as data entry and processing checks. More experienced workers may also get the opportunity to help manage large accounts in the finance department or assist with forecasting budgets or analyzing complex problems throughout the organization.
Accounting clerk is one of the government jobs that pay well without a degree in the U.S.
The average salary for an accounting clerk is $50,850, with the highest-paid earning $72,007 per year.
5. Census Clerk
Similar to accounting clerks, census clerks are a great opportunity for those who want to work as part of a high-level federal agency but don’t necessarily have the skills required for other positions. Census clerks do not require any experience and the only prerequisite is that you’re 18 years or older.
What You’ll Be Doing: Censuses are performed every 10 years. This means that census clerks may work long hours in their first year collecting data about households and population demographics.
The average salary for a census clerk in the United States of America is $46,098 per year.
6. Social Service Assistant
Social service assistant is one of the government jobs that pay well without a degree. While previous experience is not required for most social service assistant positions, you’ll need to have a high school diploma or equivalent and be at least 18 years old to apply for this federal job.
What You’ll Be Doing: Social services assistants play an essential role in developing government programs designed to help the poor, disabled, elderly, and otherwise disadvantaged people in our society.
The average salary for a social service assistant in the United States of America is $59,746, with the highest-paid earning $76,751 per year.
7. Office Clerk
Entry-level positions within the federal government are a great opportunity for those who are unsure of what career path they want to follow after high school. You don’t need to have a college degree or even previous workplace experience to apply for an entry-level federal job, but you’ll need proof of your eligibility to work in the United States.
What You’ll Be Doing: Depending on the level of experience and job responsibility that you want, office clerks could be your first introduction to the federal government via an entry-level position.
The average salary for an office clerk in the United States of America is $62,232. Top earners get paid as much as $83,992, making it one of the best government jobs that pay well without a degree.
8. Data Entry Clerk
Computer data entry clerks perform simple, repetitive tasks on a computer system designed to transfer information from paper documents into electronic files for the appropriate federal government agency.
You will have the opportunity to learn new software programs as well as gain experience in data entry and the organization’s infrastructure, as coverage is generally national-based.
The average salary for a data entry clerk in the United States of America is $38,919, with the top earner getting $58,568 per year.
9. Census Taker
Similar to census clerks, you don’t need experience or a degree to apply for this job with the federal government. However, you’ll need to be 18 years or older and be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position (and eligible to work in the United States).
What You’ll Be Doing: As an entry-level data entry clerk, you’ll be responsible for collecting personal information from the American public on such topics as gender, race/ethnicity, income level, and so forth.
The average salary for a census taker in the United States of America is $39,191, with the highest earner getting $63,000 per year.
10. Lifeguard
Federal lifeguards will be responsible for protecting those in the water from drowning and other potential dangers like shark attacks, jellyfish stings, etc.
To work in a federal lifeguard position, you’ll need to go through some extensive training before beginning your first job with the government as an entry-level employee.
The average salary for a lifeguard, which is also one of the highest-paying jobs for 18-year-olds in the U.S. is $35,058. The highest amount of money top-earners get paid is $48,963 per year.
11. Administrative Assistant
Administrative assistants play an important role in the federal government as the administrative arm for many members of Congress or other high-level executives within the government. Similar to accounting clerks and census clerks, you don’t need experience or a college degree to get started in this position.
What You’ll Be Doing: Administrative assistants may be responsible for handling scheduling conflicts for key government officials, updating contact information on their clients’ databases, and taking care of other administrative issues that could arise throughout the day.
Administrative assistants are also responsible for keeping track of documents like birth certificates or licenses when working on behalf of certain individuals within Congress.
The average salary for an administrative assistant is $50,063. Depending on experience, one can get paid up to $70,921 per year. This makes it one of the best government jobs that pay well without a degree in the U.S.
12. Court Clerk
Court clerks are entry-level federal jobs that require no previous experience or a college diploma. The highest education requirement is a high school diploma.
What You’ll Be Doing: Court clerks are responsible for filing documents like court orders for civil lawsuits, and they will also be responsible for conducting meetings about the civil status of individuals.
As a court clerk, you’ll have the opportunity to learn new courtroom procedures and become familiar with various federal government offices that deal with civil litigation as well as the government’s infrastructure (such as notifying stakeholders about developments in cases).
The average salary for a court clerk in the United States of America is $38,724. The highest earner gets paid $52,266 per year.
13. Correctional Officer
The educational requirement for working at this federal job level is a high school diploma or GED. One will also be required to have at least a 2 years work experience in a law enforcement agency in the United States. You’ll also need to pass a background check to qualify for the position.
What You’ll Be Doing: As a correctional officer, your duties will include protecting government facilities from potential dangers like fire and theft. You could also be charged with preventing any kind of escape by prisoners who have been brought in on criminal charges or who are currently serving time in prisons or jails across the nation as punishment for their crimes.
The average salary for a correctional officer in the United States of America is $42,590. Top earners get paid as much as $57,120 per year.
14. Deputy Sherrif
As with deputy sheriffs, previous experience is not required at this federal job level. However, you’ll need to have a high school diploma or equivalent and be at least 18 years old to apply.
What You’ll Be Doing: Deputy sheriffs are responsible for enforcing federal laws by making arrests in cases where the law has been violated (such as drug use or distribution). You also may be asked to work with other federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI or DEA in cases of international terrorism, espionage, domestic terrorism, cyber crimes, etc.
Deputy sheriff is one of the government jobs that pay well without a degree in the U.S.
The average salary for a deputy sheriff in the United States of America is $59,258. Top earners in this career get paid $84,428 per year.
15. Mail Carrier (U.S. Postal Service)
Mail Career is one of the government jobs that pay well without a degree. For one to become a mail career, he or she is not required to have any previous work experience. However, you’ll need to have a high school diploma or equivalent and be at least 18 years old to apply.
What You’ll Be Doing: Mail carriers are responsible for delivering mail that has been requested by members of the federal government and companies they contract with (such as the U.S. Congress). Mail carriers will also sort the mail and deliver it to the appropriate location, making sure that it gets to its destination on time.
The average salary for a mail carrier working with the U.S. Postal Service is $48,570, with the top-paid earning as much as $86,200 per year.
Conclusion
Government jobs that pay well without a degree are plentiful, and they can provide you with an incredible career opportunity that will allow you to make a real difference in the world. If you’re curious about any of the jobs listed here or want to learn more about a certain position, visit USAJOBS for complete application instructions.
You can search for jobs online 24 hours a day and submit your applications at any time, even if you aren’t in front of a computer. What all of these government jobs have in common is the fact that they don’t require you to have previous experience or a college degree, but they still do pay well.
