How to Get into Tech Without a Degree

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn how to get into the technology industry without a degree and what you can focus on instead to build your skills, experience, and qualifications.

[Featured Image] A person wearing a headset is on their laptop and answers phones at an IT call center.

Key takeaways

Gaining experience through an entry-level role, enrolling in a boot camp, and earning a certification can help you land a tech job without a degree.

  • Nearly half of all tech positions do not require a four-year degree, according to CompTIA’s Workforce and Learning Trends report [1].

  • Key technical skills to develop to prepare for a career in tech include programming, search engine optimization (SEO), customer relationship management (CRM), and data analytics.

  • You can find various jobs that don’t require a degree, including cybersecurity analyst, mobile developer, and user experience (UX) designer.

Learn more about how to get a job in tech without a degree, and explore required skills and potential career paths. If you’re ready to start developing your tech skills, consider enrolling in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to perform day-to-day IT support tasks in as little as three months. By the end, you’ll have earned a career credential to share on your resume.

What are the job requirements for working in tech?

In such a fast-moving industry, employers often look for candidates who can demonstrate an understanding of and experience with the latest relevant technology and trends, as well as transferable workplace skills. 

With this in mind, many entry-level tech positions are accessible without a degree, which can provide you with experience and skills for promotion. You may even find tech jobs without a degree or experience, or at least very little experience required. 

Stepping into management roles, senior positions, or specialized roles may require additional education, such as a degree, and experience in learning and managing teams. You may also note that many of the highest-paying tech jobs do ultimately require a degree. However, this doesn't have to stop you from starting your career without one.

Read more: Is Technology a Good Career Path?

IT training and job placement: How to get into tech without a degree

Tech jobs without a degree exist if you can prove yourself through experience, certifications, boot camps, self-learning, and a great portfolio and resume. Consider the steps below for how to get into tech without a degree.

1. Get tech experience. 

The tech industry is vast, so it’s important to make sure the experience you seek is relevant to the career you’re interested in. For most roles, general tech experience in an entry-level position is important, along with experience to enhance your workplace skills, such as in a customer service role. You may also be able to secure work in a nontechnical role, such as tech sales in a technical company or as a technical writer, to get your start. 

Also, look for tailored experience as well as general entry-level roles. Internships and volunteer work are excellent ways to gain relevant experience. You can also gain experience through events, networking, online meetups, and personal projects.

Depending on the tech role you’re interested in, it may be helpful to build a portfolio to showcase your experience and skills. 

2. Enroll in boot camps. 

Boot camps are an excellent way to gain the tech skills you need to do a job, using and honing your practical skills in a shorter timeframe than a degree. Boot camps usually involve working on very specific skills, which means you can tailor a boot camp to the role you want to do. 

Boot camps are typically less expensive than a degree and flexible, with part-time and online options, so you can fit them around your work and other commitments while still earning a salary. They are very practical and project-based, so they are a good option if this is your learning preference over more theoretical study. 

3. Earn certifications through tech training programs. 

Certifications are an excellent way of proving and validating your tech skills. They can be very valuable to your tech career, showing you can work at a certain level and have the skills necessary to do the job.

Certifications come in many forms, so you can choose one related to the job you want to apply for. Some may even be a prerequisite for the role. Some general technical certificates can add value to your resume if you don't have a degree. Tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, CompTIA, and others offer certifications in various disciplines that are widely recognized. Some examples include: 

  • CompTIA A+

  • Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise

  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

  • AWS Certified Developer – Associate

  • Microsoft Certified: Fundamentals

4. Apply for entry-level positions that don’t require a degree. 

If you don’t have a degree, entry-level roles are a good place to start, as many of them don’t require a degree. If you have a relevant certification, experience, and skills, you might land one of these entry-level roles:

5. Find companies that don’t require a degree.

While employers often require a degree for tech jobs, some companies are more open to other credentials. According to CompTIA Workforce and Learning Trends 2024, almost half of all tech job postings do not specify a four-year degree requirement [1].

A number of employers, such as Amazon, Accenture, Google, and Apple, see boot camps as desirable, so if you have participated in a boot camp but don’t have a degree, you can still look for jobs at these top companies.

Required skills for tech jobs 

The skills you need for a tech role ultimately depend on the specifics of the role. Different jobs require different skills, tools, and areas of specialization. As a general rule, however, many tech jobs require the following skills as standard:

Technical skills

Workplace skills

  • Communication

  • Problem-solving

  • Creativity

  • Computer literacy

  • Time management 

Salary and job outlook for IT jobs without a degree

According to the BLS, the median annual salary for a technology professional in the US is $105,990 [2]. Keep in mind, this varies depending on the role. Here are some related roles and their median total pay. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

  • Help desk technician: $64,000 [3]

  • Cybersecurity specialist: $147,000 [4]

The demand for tech professionals is much faster than average compared to all occupations in the US [2]. Professionals in the cybersecurity industry are in particularly high demand, with a predicted job growth rate of 29 percent between 2024 and 2034 [5]. In contrast, the database administrators' job outlook is 4 percent, which is about as fast as the average [6]. 

What tech is in demand?

According to the BLS, computer systems design and related services are in high demand, with a projected employment growth rate of 19.5 percent between 2023 and 2033 [7]. Other tech jobs in high demand include data scientists and information security analysts, with an expected employment growth rate of about 41 percent during that same period [7]. The fields of computer and information research scientists and operations research analysts should also continue to grow at a fast rate of 31.6 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively [7].

How to start IT if you don't have a degree: Potential career paths 

Entry-level positions like those listed earlier are a great starting point for more advanced careers. You’ll also find a number of higher-level positions that are available to you without a degree, provided you have other relevant experience, certifications, and training. Examples and their median total pay include:

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of January 2026. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Discover free tech resources for your career

Stay up-to-date with industry trends by subscribing to Career Chat, our LinkedIn newsletter. Then, explore these free tech resources for even more insight:

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Article sources

1. 

CompTIA. “Workforce and Learning Trends 2024, https://comptiacdn.azureedge.net/webcontent/docs/default-source/research-reports/comptia-workforce-and-learning-trends-2024.pdf.” Accessed January 14, 2026. 

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