Ohio State - Free

[Skirtlet]

A high school diploma used to be enough to get a good job that could support a stay home spouse/kids. Now a college BA/BS is hardly enough.

There are MANY jobs that can support a family without a degree.  My husband has supported us since we had our first child 19 years ago.  He doesn't have a degree.  Many of his coworkers don't either, and many of them don't have degrees.  My dad supported our family for many years, and he never went to college either.  My mom went back to work at some point, and her salary could have supported the family as well, and she did not have a degree (although she ended up getting one later).

It all depends on where you live, your lifestyle, the job, etc. Many variables, but I knew many people when I was a SAHM who had 1-income families.  They had all moved to somewhere less expensive to be able to do it though.

It was a lot easier 20 years ago to make livable money without a degree but it's getting harder and harder too. I made more 20 years ago than I do now. Dot com boom and thriving economy about 20 years ago made jobs plentiful. It's getting harder without a degree. 

Some skilled trades or working up to management are still possible without a degree now, but it's a different economy than 20 years ago. In another 20 years, a high school diploma will surely lose even more value. A college BA might even lose some value by then too. 20 years is a long time. It's possible to live on one income still, but it does taking moving to a cheaper city, living frugally, and some other sacrifices. Mid-1950s, it was easier for the average high school graduate to get a job that could support a spouse and a few kids without having to make all those sacrifices. I knew people in the 1990s that managed too, but that was a whole different era. It's not that easy anymore. People I know with no college education at all right now that just graduated high school are barely getting by. Target and similar's $15/hour comes with the fact that Target/similar rarely schedule people 40 hours so they can avoid paying them benefits. Amazon is decent money, but not ideal working conditions/hours and takes a toll on your physical health. I don't know anyone from today's generation, 18-22+-, with only a high school diploma that could make ends meet even in my cheap city. I know an 18 year old with 2 kids and the only way she gets by with her boyfriend is because of section 8, food stamps, etc. to go along with her fast food job (and her boyfriend's fast food job). No college means that's her only option. If she could get into manual labor/factory work, learning a skilled trade, etc., she could make more... but without that, she's got it rough. Things weren't so bad for us 1990s kids. Today's generation has it harder to get jobs without any college.

I would not want to see what 20 years from now with no degree would look like for the job market.