High Paying Jobs Without a Degree: The Honest Numbers

I do not have a degree. I have cleaned windows for a living since 1999, and I now run two businesses in a second country. When people search for high paying jobs without a degree, they want real numbers. So here are mine, with the costs people forget. I charge in euros in Vienna, so these are rounded to dollars.

My first paid window cleaning job

My first window cleaning job was as an employee, on a wage, for nine months. Then I became a subcontractor, and that is when it felt like my own business.

It was exciting. I cannot remember the exact figures, but I remember the feeling of sending out my first invoice. Wednesday was the end of the invoice week, and sending that invoice for the week's work was somewhat addictive. I had put in the effort and the customers were happy. My contractor was happy, because they were the contractor's customers. And those customers were asking for me again next year.

How long did it take? I was professional after about three months, able to manage 95% of the variations given to me. It took about nine months to be contracted more or less full time as my own business.

What I learned is that window cleaning is only one section of the whole trade. As a sole trader you also have the administration, the punctuality, maintaining a car, the invoicing and the tax returns.

What a solid day earns, and what a bad day looks like

These are my real numbers now, after 16 years in Vienna and 27 years in the trade. They are not what you will earn in your first month.

• A bad day: about $350, my minimum. That is not a good day.
• The day I need: about $500 to $575 as a minimum.
• A comfortable average: about $500 to $850.
• A big day: up to about $1,150. That depends on the quality and size of the house, the difficulty, how dirty it is, the access and the weather. It can also be two days of work.

I have worked out my budget, and I only need between 110 and 150 customers a year. That covers all my expenses, my family, holidays, investments and a comfortable life. If you want the wider picture, read how much window cleaners really make.

The costs people forget when they compare a trade to a salary

I might make about $850 on one job, but that is not what I keep.

• Income tax
• All the expenses that come with the job, tools up and tools down
• My own retirement fund and pension

There are many more moving parts in a trade than in a salary, where medical, retirement and taxes are all calculated for you. But with a salary, you do not have the freedom of managing your own time and holidays. You do not get to choose the customers you want to work with, and the ones you do not.

Why no degree does not mean no skill

I do not have a degree, and I have many skills. Running your own business, you wear many hats:

• Marketing, sales, flyers and printing
• Search engine optimization and your web page
• Grooming, punctuality and managing your time
• Your tools and your vehicle
• Customer service, and winning and losing customers
• Soft skills: small talk, empathy and understanding emotion

With a degree you are highly focused in one field. With window cleaning, the cleaning is one field, and being your own business adds all the rest.

I used to think window cleaning was the only job I could do, because I was not smart enough. As it turns out, I now have two businesses in a second country, and I have been doing this for 27 years. You need skill to run a window cleaning business.

Where to start

The skill comes first. The Skill is $69, and it shows you what I do from start to finish. If you want to try it before you pay, start free with the Manifesto.

If you want the whole business set up, invoicing and website included, that is what The View is for. You still have to find the dirty windows yourself.

Related guides

• How much do window cleaners make?
• What it costs to start a window cleaning business
• Career change at 40: what I would do
• Best jobs for introverts

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you earn good money as a window cleaner without a degree?

I have. After 27 years, a comfortable average day for me is about $500 to $850 before tax and costs. That took years of building. It is not what you will earn in your first month.

How many customers does a window cleaner need?

For my budget, I need between 110 and 150 customers a year, big and small. That covers my expenses, my family, holidays, investments and a comfortable life. Your number depends on your own budget and your prices.

What costs do people forget when they work for themselves?

Income tax, tools, your vehicle, and your own pension. With a salary, medical, retirement and taxes are calculated for you. As your own business, you have to plan for them yourself.

How long does it take to become a professional window cleaner?

For me, about three months full time to manage 95% of the variations given to me, and about nine months to be contracted more or less full time as my own business.