how probable is it to make a decent salary without college/trade school?

[JohnTreason]

Times have changed a lot. When my parents were young, it was possible to get a great job without a degree. With the state of the economy right now, the job market is very competitive and having a degree really helps. I have a friend that was making 80K per year working in human resources for a well known bank. His job gave him the duty of laying off tons of workers that did not have degrees. After he completed his task, his boss let him go because he did not have a degree. He did get a good severance package though.

 

[JensPark]

without a degree/cert are you pretty doomed to making 32-50k over the span of your life(assuming you don't have a special talent)
or a really high stress job like garbageman.

 

[a_non_ah_mus]

You can if you start in a company and work your way up. You can start you own business or become an intern to learn a trade.

 

[Bluekittie]

Yes. Your options are limited.