  If you're interested in working directly with patients (and their mouths), a career as a dental hygienist might be for you. (Shutterstock)
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The cost of higher education is on the rise. University graduates who finance their education with student loans can leave with 10's of thousands of dollars in debt.
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If you've opted to forego higher education, there are still promising career paths. According to data provided by PayScale.com, these five jobs offer a potential salary of more than $50,000, based on median pay range for people with five to eight years of experience in the field. From an educational standpoint, they all require a Bachelor's Degree or less.
1. Registered Dental Hygienist: $55,945 - $98,353
If you're interested in working directly with patients (and their mouths), a career as a dental hygienist might be for you. Dental hygienists must be registered or licensed by the dental hygiene regulatory authority in their province, after receiving a dental hygiene diploma or bachelor program, according to the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association.
2. Fashion Designer: $28,565 - $61,896
Creativity, design talent, and a knowledge of fabric and textiles are integral in this business. While employers often seek at least a two-year degree in this field, location is also a key contributor to success as a fashion designer.
3. Registered Nurse (RN): $40,453 - $84,916
Nurses commonly enter the occupation by completing either a four-year degree program at a university or a three-year diploma program with a college, according to the Canadian Nurses Association.
4. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA):$21,320 - $59,247
Under the supervision of an occupational therapist, COTAs help to provide rehabilitative services to people who have mental, physical, emotional or developmental impairments, by helping them to find alternative ways to perform daily activities despite limitations. Typical entry-level education for occupational therapist assistants is an associate degree obtained from am accredited college. After completing the program, they obtain any additional state-mandated licensing, registration and certification.
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5. Automotive Retail Salesperson: $16,134 - $78,133
If you enjoy working with cars and people, this career path can be lucrative. Most employers prefer at least a high-school diploma, but will provide on the job training to enhance technical and communication skills. Because of the retail nature of the position, be prepared to work outside of the typical "nine-to-five" workday.
Lucky locations
If you live in a particular region, there may be other exceptional high salary low education career options. For example, lifeguards in Newport Beach are raking in the dough while basking in the sun. According to The Orange County Register "more than half the city's full-time lifeguards are paid a salary of over $100,000 and all but one of them collect more than $100,000 in total compensation." Truck drivers in Fort McMurray, Alberta are also in high-demand, and employers are willing to pay for their skills. Class 1 drivers in the region of Fort McMurray can make up to $35 per hour.
The Bottom Line
While the typical perception is that one must hold a four-year college degree in order to secure a well-paying job, the statistics tell a different tale. These five jobs prove that there are still options to make a high salary, with a low education investment.
Source: All salary data is provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Annual salaries listed are for full-time employees with 5-8 years of experience and include any bonuses, commissions or profit sharing.
With files from QMI AGENCY
