How to Get into IT Without a Degree

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn more about routes into a career in IT without studying for a degree.

[Featured image] Two people working in IT talking to each other in the workplace.

Key takeaways

You can get into IT without a degree by building IT experience, earning certifications, and applying for entry-level positions.

  • According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for an IT professional in the US is $105,990 [1].

  • Entry-level positions that may not require a degree include help desk technician, programmer, and SEO specialist.

  • You can earn a certification, such as the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), to help build your career in IT.

Discover how to get into IT without a degree, investigating alternatives such as gaining experience, earning certifications, and building your skills outside of a degree program. If you’re ready to enhance your IT skills, enroll in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, where in as little as three months, you can learn about systems administration, technical support, computer hardware, and more.

What are the job requirements to work in IT?

While IT roles sometimes require a bachelor’s degree, this isn’t always necessary. Employers are also looking for people with relevant practical skills in an industry that is continually evolving. Skills can be learned without a degree, like boot camps, certifications, and personal study. 

Experience is also important, with employers looking for around three years of experience for entry-level to mid-level roles and five to 10 years of experience for senior-level roles. 

Degrees 

Traditionally, the route to an IT role has required a bachelor’s degree and sometimes a master’s degree in computer science or a similar field. While this is still a popular route and essential for some roles, it’s not the only way to find a job in the IT industry. The type of role and the level of experience will impact the education and experience you need. 

For example, you may find a job as a computer support specialist without a bachelor’s degree, but if you plan to progress to a management-level role such as a computer and information systems manager, you’ll likely need a bachelor’s degree and sometimes a master’s degree. 

Read more: What Is a Master’s Degree?

Certifications 

Many employers ask for specific certifications relevant to the role. These may be in addition to or in place of a degree. Even if an employer doesn’t specify a certification, it is still useful to enhance your resume and prove that you have the required technical skills to do the job. Certifications are generally short courses you can complete as professional development throughout your career, helping you advance to higher-level positions.

How to get into IT without a degree 

A degree is a great way to gain knowledge and skills and to demonstrate to employers that you can work at a given level. However, if you don’t have a degree and don’t plan to work toward one, you’ll find a number of steps you can take to land an IT role. 

Let’s take a look in more detail.

1. Develop IT experience. 

For most IT positions, experience is essential because it’s how you cultivate relevant skills and cement your academic knowledge. Entry-level positions and internships are excellent ways to build experience. It’s important to remember that experience doesn’t have to be paid. Gaining experience through boot camps and hackathons helps you learn and practice new skills, all with support from people in the field. A number of top companies, including Amazon and Google, value boot camps highly in their recruitment process.

You can also gain experience through self-study. This may include online courses, podcasts, books, events, boot camps, and hackathons. Self-study shows that you have the motivation to continue learning and improving, develop skills, manage your time between work and learning, and stay updated with the latest technology. 

However, if you choose to develop experience, be sure to showcase it in a portfolio. A portfolio is an effective way to collate all the work you’ve done to present to an employer.

2. Earn IT certifications.

If you don’t have a degree, consider IT certifications as an alternative. Certifications focus on specific areas, software, and skills, so employers often ask for certifications relevant to the open position. This allows you to be very tailored in choosing certifications that match your job. You may also combine your certification with an entry-level job, as some certifications require experience. 

Some examples include: 

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

Entry-level positions help you build experience and skills and provide a placement for some IT certifications. You’ll find it’s possible to apply for a number of entry-level jobs in IT without a degree. Here are several examples:

 

Is 30 too late to get into tech?

No, it is never too late to get into tech or change careers, as you can always build new, in-demand skills and experience. You can develop your tech skills by going back to school for a degree, depending on the requirements of the role you’re interested in, or you can pursue options like online courses or certifications. Consider beginning by researching in-demand skills like JavaScript or Python, developing a vast array of knowledge in the sector, and starting to create your own projects for a portfolio. Making a career change into tech at 30, 40, or even 50 is very possible. 

How to get into the IT industry without a degree: Build skills for IT jobs

Employers want to know that you have the necessary skills to carry out an IT role, whether you learn them through a degree, certification, boot camp, or other means. IT professionals need a combination of technical and workplace skills. These vary from role to role, with each area needing different specialist skills. However, in general, employers are looking for the following skills as standard:

Technical skills

Workplace skills

Salary and job outlook

Salary for IT jobs varies depending on the type of role you take on. However, according to the BLS, the median salary for an IT professional in the US in 2024 was $105,990 [1]. The job outlook is excellent, with some areas, such as information security and software development, growing at a rate of 29 percent and 16 percent between 2024 and 2034 [2]. Furthermore, the BLS predicts that 317,700 IT job openings will be available each year from 2024 to 2034 [1].

Highest-paying tech jobs without a degree

Entry-level jobs are a great starting point for building experience and trying out different areas within IT. Gaining experience and the skills that come with it, as well as working toward certifications, will help you progress your career to more advanced roles.

Look at some examples of IT roles available without a degree, following experience from an entry-level position, and any relevant certifications. Included are the median annual total salaries for each:

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.

Join Career Chat on LinkedIn to get timely updates on popular skills, tools, and certifications in information technology. Build or refresh your IT skills with our other free resources:

Accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses. 

Article sources

1. 

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Computer and Information Technology Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm.” Accessed January 27, 2026. 

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