{"id":138281,"date":"2025-10-18T09:02:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T16:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/?p=138281"},"modified":"2025-10-18T09:06:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T16:06:56","slug":"can-you-really-land-a-tech-job-without-a-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/can-you-really-land-a-tech-job-without-a-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Really Land a Tech Job Without a Degree?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In May 2025, ResumeTemplates surveyed employers and found that a quarter would no longer require degrees for some roles<\/a>.1<\/sup> Seven in ten hiring managers went further and said real experience mattered more than a diploma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For anyone pursuing tech jobs without a degree, this marks an important change in how the industry views talent and hirable skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, CompTIA<\/a> found that more than a third of American workers participated in some form of job-hunting in 2025.2<\/sup> Of these job seekers\u2019 goals, CompTIA noted that breaking into the tech industry and improving their prospects with an industry-recognized certification (rather than a degree) were considered, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, certifications and online programs have become the go-to option for many learners. Coursera Professional Certificates<\/a> and Coursera MasterTrack<\/a> programs are two of the most popular options, designed in collaboration with major companies and universities to educate students on the fast-changing tools and skills of the tech field.3,4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, non-degree paths certainly exist\u2014but the real question is how much weight these credentials carry once your resume hits a hiring desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tech Hiring Shift in 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to CompTIA, about 9.6 million people<\/a> worked in the U.S. tech sector in 2024,  with about 72,500 new jobs added\u2014a growth rate of roughly 1% from 2023.5<\/sup> While that increase isn\u2019t dramatic, the outlook is what stands out: over the next decade, tech jobs are rising at nearly twice the pace<\/a> of the overall labor market.6<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding to this growth is the push toward skills-based hiring. According to June 2025 job reports<\/a>, of the 450,000 tech openings advertised, almost half removed degree requirements entirely.7<\/sup> The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) also stated that one in four companies<\/a> plan to strip degree requirements from some jobs.8<\/sup> Google and IBM are held up as early movers, and others like Dell and Bank of America<\/a> have joined the list, too.9<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the change? By expanding the candidate pool<\/a>, managers end up hiring prospects they may not have looked at twice before\u2014opening the company to stronger talent.10 <\/sup>This suggests that today\u2019s employers are more interested in your skills and ability to learn\u2014and not where you studied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Really Get Hired Without a Degree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, you can get hired without a degree, but the scope depends on the role you\u2019re interested in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) outlines that future computer support specialists<\/a> can start their careers with postsecondary training or certifications, as opposed to just a bachelor\u2019s.11<\/sup> Meanwhile, on Coursera, several learner profiles highlight people who pursued or strengthened their careers without getting a degree. For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n