For a long time, STEM jobs (careers within the sciences, technology, engineering, and maths) which include AI (artificial intelligence) have been viewed as too complex to even be considered without a bachelor's degree at the very least, or if one is extremely serious about their career, a PhD.
But this poses a problem. In 2021, there were an estimated 276,429 female STEM graduates in the U.S. But by contrast, the number of male graduates within STEM disciplines was double this figure, standing at a staggering 548,109.
Another shocking reality, although perhaps not surprising given the trend within STEM industries, is that, according to Slack's Workforce Index report for 2024, "there’s an AI gender gap emerging, and it’s largest among Gen Z. While young people are most likely to have experimented with AI tools, Gen Z men are 25% more likely to have tried AI tools compared with Gen Z women," the report's findings stated.
This indicates that there are more men entering the workforce who are equipped with AI skills and expertise, compared to the same number of women graduates.
While women may have been discouraged from studying and entering into technology and highly scientific industries, due to lack of representation, historic gender bias and sexism, and being held back from pursuing these opportunities due to external factors or personal drawbacks, thankfully, it's still not too late.
If you're an ambitious woman seeking to make an impact within the booming STEM industries, and specifically with artificial intelligence, there are a number of ways you can still secure a high-paying role within AI—even without a degree. You can, if you choose, start working in one of the below three roles, and then at the same time, pursue studies within computer science or other related field relevant to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
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Here are some high-paying remote AI jobs you can secure without needing to get a degree (salaries extracted from ZipRecruiter and Salary.com):
1. AI Product/Project Manager
There are tons of AI projects and products being created and deployed all around the world, from products and tools being released by fresh venture-backed start-ups, to those being launched and updated by major tech companies that are already in operation.
An AI product manager plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful roll-out of AI applications; and if you are an AI project manager, you might be more focused on assisting the leadership team to ensure AI tools are implemented by your team.
To be an AI product (or project) manager, you need to have a good understanding of your product(s) so you can better communicate with the engineers and developers in your project team, and be more engaged with the product.
This means that, in addition to gaining industry-leading project/product management certifications such as those offered by Google or the Project Management Institute, you should seek to brush up your skills and understanding of key technical concepts, relevant to the role. You can accomplish this through undergoing extra training courses and certifications.
Average salary range: $150,105 to $201,869
2. AI Writer
With AI being the big hype that it is, there's increased risk of it being used without caution, and spreading potentially harmful and damaging misinformation. The career of a remote AI writer or editor, being relatively new at this stage, is focused on ensuring that AI-generated content in response to prompts is fact-checked and sense-checked before being released. As a freelance AI writer, you can collaborate with copywriting and marketing agencies are offer your services to established marketing teams.
Average salary range: $60,000 to $120,000
3. AI Prompt Engineer
Last but not least, one of the most essential remote jobs available within AI, especially generative AI, is that of an AI prompt engineer. AWS (Amazon Web Services) summed up what this role entails perfectly: "Prompt engineering is the process where you guide generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) solutions to generate desired outputs. Even though generative AI attempts to mimic humans, it requires detailed instructions to create high-quality and relevant output.
"In prompt engineering, you choose the most appropriate formats, phrases, words, and symbols that guide the AI to interact with your users more meaningfully," AWS explains. "Prompt engineers use creativity plus trial and error to create a collection of input texts, so an application's generative AI works as expected."
To be a prompt engineer without a computer science degree, it will be significantly harder to land a role as this is a specialized field in which employers usually look for your bachelor's or master's degree as a minimum.
However, there are some cases in which thorough computer science and machine learning knowledge obtained through short courses, an associate degree, and equivalent experience can work in your favor in lieu of the formal educational route.
You would need to focus on building your expertise in problem-solving, problem formation, NLP, and fundamental AI concepts.
Average salary range: Vastly varies from $100,000 to over $300,000
Women who have been held back from pursuing STEM roles previously may be able to secure high-paying remote jobs in AI, even without a degree, todaySo, if you're eager to get your foot in the door and shape the future of artificial intelligence, start today by identifying which role sparks your interest, and acquiring the necessary skills, project experience, and in-depth knowledge for it. Join industry networking groups—especially those which represent marginalized groups such as women—and seek mentorship from professionals who are where you wish to be in your career.
