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Original poster

Is it possible to earn £50k pa without a degree?

121 replies

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 15:35

I'm reaching my 40s and nowhere near where I'd like to be, financially.

My current salary is £30k pa and I work in financial services, with qualifications in my industry, but I don't have a degree. I think I'd probably have to stay in financial services.

I'm really struggling to know where to go from here, or how to get there.

Does anybody work in financial services who would be comfortable discussing what they do for a living and if the salary is anywhere near £50k?

Thanks you x

OP posts:
Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:42

@InfoSecInTheCity compliance may be a step as I don't really like the sales side of mortgage advisory.

Would you mind sharing what your job actually entails on a day to day?

OP posts:
Twinstudy · 16/02/2025 16:43

IT in financial services, no degree, a couple of pretty crap a levels earn about 80k. My boss doesn't have a degree either and presumably earns a fair bit more than me!

gavinandstaceychristmasspecial · 16/02/2025 16:44

Oh definitely and more. Chartered accountant can be done on an apprenticeship and they sky is the limit. The CEO of my firm which is top ten doesn't have a degree and his salary is in the millions.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Jobs
onwards2025 · 16/02/2025 16:49

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:42

@InfoSecInTheCity compliance may be a step as I don't really like the sales side of mortgage advisory.

Would you mind sharing what your job actually entails on a day to day?

I'm not in financial services but a similar industry, I would think compliance could be well worth looking into as it's transferable too with other sectors, law, accountancy, the main banks, smaller lenders and brokers etc. Our compliance director is 40s and earning above £60k + benefits, flexi role and with no specific qualifications to start with and largely learnt as gone along

InfoSecInTheCity · 16/02/2025 16:50

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:42

@InfoSecInTheCity compliance may be a step as I don't really like the sales side of mortgage advisory.

Would you mind sharing what your job actually entails on a day to day?

Entry level GRC analyst in my team would be on round £45-50k their role would include:

  • ensuring that company policies and procedures relating to the topic are up to date and meet the requirements of any frameworks we need to adhere to
  • arranging and minuting formal meetings
  • working with business teams to audit their compliance to the policies, collecting evidence and identifying where there are issues
  • following up on action plans/corrective actions
  • adding risks to register for review be treatment
  • supporting development of training/awareness materials

Then there are progression routes into management. I'm quite senior so more 'strategic' decision making, where budgets should be spent, what certifications we should go for, what resources we will need etc.

Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:55

@InfoSecInTheCity that would be right up my street.

I'm in mortgages now but the 10 years before that, I was an EA to a CEO of a medium sized business and HR advisor so minutes, development training was, reports etc was my bread and butter.

Thank you so much for the advice!

OP posts:
IDidntFloatUpTheLaganInABubble · 16/02/2025 16:58

It definitely is possible, I have no degree & no real qualifications to speak of (parents had a messy & acrimonious divorce when I was 13 & I went off the rails a bit). I work in IT Cyber Security, I have been a contractor earning £500 plus a day but am now a permanent employee. I have all the benefits but a much lower salary of about £75k in all. I’ve worked with some great people who had faith in me & gave me a chance and I have learnt a lot.

augustusglupe · 16/02/2025 16:58

DD earns 70k in hospitality. 12 GCSE passes.
Worked her way up from waiting tables at 16 to a Senior general manager in London at 35.

JohnofWessex · 16/02/2025 17:01

Train Driver?

Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 17:03

IDidntFloatUpTheLaganInABubble · 16/02/2025 16:58

It definitely is possible, I have no degree & no real qualifications to speak of (parents had a messy & acrimonious divorce when I was 13 & I went off the rails a bit). I work in IT Cyber Security, I have been a contractor earning £500 plus a day but am now a permanent employee. I have all the benefits but a much lower salary of about £75k in all. I’ve worked with some great people who had faith in me & gave me a chance and I have learnt a lot.

Edited

I think having people who have faith in you, and are willing to take a chance on you, is how a lot of people are able to move up and around to the higher salaries roles.

I'm hoping for my fairy job mother to find me 😂

OP posts:
BeAquaGoose · 16/02/2025 17:03

DH earns more than that as an electrician. He did an apprenticeship.

MidnightMusing5 · 16/02/2025 17:03

School business manager?

Zebedee999 · 16/02/2025 17:23

Landscape gardener left school with no qualifications, earning £120k in his mid 30s.

Most trades or decent design skills can earn you a decent amount with no qualifications.

My roofer earns a lot and as he is good never needs to advertise, all word or mouth.

Cookiesandcandies · 16/02/2025 17:24

Absolutely. A colleague of mine is 26, no degree (and no A levels), on £60k+. Another ex colleague of mine had no degree, trained as an auditor, now works in house and is earning in excess of £100k at 30.

The former colleague trained at a small accountancy firm and has worked her way up to Big4 from there. The other trained at a mid tier accountancy firm as an apprentice and moved into an industry finance role once he was ACA qualified.

What kind of financial services do you work in and what qualifications do you have? I'd expect someone say ACA or ACCA qualified to be earning £50k+ not long after qualifying, and you don't need a degree to get those qualifications.

Eminybob · 16/02/2025 17:25

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:42

@InfoSecInTheCity compliance may be a step as I don't really like the sales side of mortgage advisory.

Would you mind sharing what your job actually entails on a day to day?

I also work in mortgages.

Are you open to management? I worked my way up in the industry to management and now earn £50k+. Also loads of room to further my career and earn more.
It's never going to be £100s of k but considering my lack of qualifications I don't think I'm doing too badly.

Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 17:30

@Eminybob I'm open to anything that improves my earning potential.

I work for a really small family run brokerage at the moment, so real scope to move up. Or anywhere for that matter!

Do you work for a national firm?

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 16/02/2025 17:31

Parky04 · 16/02/2025 16:01

I earnt over £80k without any CSE's! Hated school (rarely attended). Started work at 15 and thrived in that environment.

Doing what out of interest?

Eminybob · 16/02/2025 17:59

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 17:30

@Eminybob I'm open to anything that improves my earning potential.

I work for a really small family run brokerage at the moment, so real scope to move up. Or anywhere for that matter!

Do you work for a national firm?

I work for a medium sized specialist lender. I moved here 3.5 years ago and worked my way up. I'm just about to move to another lender for a pay rise.

Think outside the box. Loads of things to do in mortgages that aren't advice but still use your skills. I side stepped into underwriting from advice for eg.

Eyesopenwideawake · 16/02/2025 18:05

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 16:36

Wow. It's amazing that so many of you are earning such amazing salaries, it's obviously possible to do it.

I'm a mortgage adviser at the moment and really have no idea how to break in to a new role. Anybody want to take me under their wing 😂

Aw, I could have done 20 years ago! Are you working for a lender or an independent broker?

Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 18:10

Really helpful @Eminybob thank you

And good luck with your new job!

OP posts:
Loveanewusername · 16/02/2025 18:10

Husband has no GCSEs and earns 45k in all honesty he would struggle to earn more .

I have a degree and earn about 12k

Original poster
whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 18:11

@Eyesopenwideawake 😂 I'm at an independent brokerage. Maybe I need to get in to specialist lenders to be able to move in to more corporate positions.

OP posts:
dhxxx · 16/02/2025 18:12

Yes I'm over 50k in accounting, no degree. Would be higher but had time out for travelling and also children so not progressed as much as I could. Not yet 40 yet though so another 20+ years to do that!

wooliegloves · 16/02/2025 18:16

Yes I'm on 6 figures without a degree (well, now working on an MBA the company is paying for, so not for much longer!) and was on min wage less than 10 years ago. I was actually on 30k about 5 years ago!

@LittleRedRidingHoody Wow, how did you go from 30k to 6 fugs in 5 yrs?

Eminybob · 16/02/2025 18:16

whatnoooow · 16/02/2025 18:11

@Eyesopenwideawake 😂 I'm at an independent brokerage. Maybe I need to get in to specialist lenders to be able to move in to more corporate positions.

I think while you are a broker the only way to go is sales management or branching out on your own.

Sounds like you're not a fan of sales though, so I'd definitely try and make a move to a lender.