Boilermaker

No, not a shot and a beer. Skip college and get certified as a boilermaker, installing and repairing large containers that hold liquids and gases. You’ll need an apprenticeship (it’ll give you a better workout than any gym), but that’s it, and can expect to make about $56K, with the top 10 percent earning just over $80K. Plus, the BLS expects the industry to grow to by 19 percent by 2008, with the highest wages in, of all places, West Virginia, where boilermakers get an average hourly wage of nearly $33.