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What if you could get a degree that doesn’t drain you but still lands you a six-figure salary? It’s not a myth. More people are ditching the idea that hard work equals high pay. Some degrees are genuinely easier to finish-less all-nighters, fewer labs, fewer group projects that go off the rails-and still pay better than 80% of other careers. You don’t need to be a genius. You just need to pick the right one.
Online degrees that pay well without burning you out
Let’s cut through the noise. A degree doesn’t have to be punishing to be valuable. The trick is finding programs that focus on practical skills, not theory-heavy exams. In 2025, the easiest degrees that pay well are mostly online, flexible, and built for working adults. They don’t require advanced math, heavy lab work, or endless essays. They reward consistency, not perfection.
Take Information Technology a field focused on managing computer systems, networks, and digital tools used by businesses. A bachelor’s in IT online can be completed in three years part-time. You’ll learn how to set up firewalls, troubleshoot cloud systems, and manage user access. No organic chemistry. No Shakespeare. Just real-world tech problems you solve step by step. Graduates in the UK earn an average of £48,000 within two years of finishing. Many start at £35,000 and hit £60,000 by age 30. The best part? You can start with a certificate and build up. No need to commit to four years upfront.
Digital Marketing a field focused on promoting products and services through online channels like social media, email, and search engines is another low-stress, high-reward path. You’ll learn how to run Facebook ads, write email campaigns, and track Google Analytics. No memorizing formulas. No finals. Most courses are project-based: build a campaign, measure results, tweak it. You can finish this degree in two years part-time. Entry-level roles pay £32,000. With three years of experience, £50,000 is common. Big companies like Amazon, Deliveroo, and even local agencies hire these grads. You don’t need a design degree. You just need to understand what makes people click.
Project Management a field focused on planning, organizing, and guiding projects to successful completion using tools and frameworks like Agile and Scrum is quietly becoming the go-to degree for people who like structure but hate pressure. You’ll learn how to use Trello, Asana, and Jira. You’ll write timelines, assign tasks, and keep teams on track. No coding. No complex statistics. Just clear communication and organization. The average salary for a project coordinator in the UK is £40,000. Senior roles hit £65,000. Many employers don’t even require a degree-they just want proof you’ve completed a recognized certification like PMP or PRINCE2. And guess what? You can get both the degree and the certification online in under two years.
What makes a degree "easy"?
"Easy" doesn’t mean lazy. It means you’re not fighting the system. An easy degree has:
- Clear, step-by-step assignments (not open-ended essays)
- No lab work or in-person exams
- Flexible deadlines (you can submit late without penalty)
- Grading based on completion, not perfection
- Real-world projects you can show employers
Compare that to a biology degree. You’re in labs until midnight. You memorize 500 cell structures. You take three exams in one week. You graduate with £50,000 in debt and a job paying £28,000 as a lab tech. That’s not easy. That’s just exhausting.
Online degrees in IT, marketing, and project management skip the grind. They give you tools you can use the same week you learn them. You build a website in Module 2. You run your first ad campaign in Module 4. You lead a mock project in Module 6. By the end, you’ve got a portfolio-not just a transcript.
Top three online degrees in 2025 (by pay vs. effort)
| Degree | Typical Duration (Part-Time) | Starting Salary (UK) | Mid-Career Salary | Key Skills Learned | Effort Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | 3 years | £35,000 | £60,000 | Network setup, cloud security, system troubleshooting | Low to Medium |
| Digital Marketing | 2 years | £32,000 | £50,000 | Google Ads, SEO, email automation, analytics | Low |
| Project Management | 2 years | £38,000 | £65,000 | Agile, task tracking, stakeholder communication | Low |
Notice something? All three have low effort ratings. None require calculus. None need you to write a 10,000-word thesis. And all three pay more than the average UK graduate salary of £34,000.
Why these degrees work better than traditional ones
Traditional degrees were built for a world where you graduated, got a job, and stayed there for 40 years. That world is gone. Today, you need skills you can apply immediately. These online degrees are designed for that reality.
Take IT. You don’t need to know how a CPU works at a transistor level. You need to know how to fix a slow server. That’s what the course teaches. In Digital Marketing, you don’t memorize marketing theories from the 1980s. You learn how to get 500 clicks for £50 using TikTok ads. In Project Management, you don’t study organizational behavior for 12 weeks. You learn how to get a team to deliver a product on time.
Employers care about results. Not your GPA. Not your essay on Kant. They want someone who can fix their website, run their ads, or keep their team from falling apart. These degrees give you that proof-right from day one.
Who should avoid these degrees?
These aren’t for everyone. If you love deep research, writing novels, or dissecting ancient texts, then skip these. They’re not designed for academics. They’re for doers.
Also, if you hate technology, you’ll struggle in IT or Digital Marketing. If you can’t stand organizing people or following timelines, Project Management will feel like torture. The "easy" part only works if the subject actually interests you.
But if you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed by school, if you want to earn more without becoming a workaholic, and if you’re ready to build something useful while you learn-these degrees are your shortcut.
How to start without spending a fortune
You don’t need to enroll in a full degree right away. Start small. Many platforms offer free or low-cost intro courses that let you test the waters.
- Try Google’s Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate (free, 10 hours)
- Take Microsoft’s IT Fundamentals (free, 4 modules)
- Complete a PRINCE2 Agile course for under £100
Finish one of these. Build a small project. Put it on LinkedIn. See how recruiters respond. If you get replies, you’ve already proven the path works. Then you can decide if a full degree is worth it.
Most people who succeed in these fields don’t start with a degree. They start with a Google search, a free course, and the courage to try something new.
Real people, real results
Sarah, 32, was a retail manager in Manchester. She hated the hours. She made £24,000 a year. She took a 6-month online course in Digital Marketing. She built a campaign for a local bakery. Got 1,200 new customers. Posted it on LinkedIn. Got a job offer from a marketing agency. Now she makes £42,000. No student debt. No extra years in school.
James, 28, worked in a call centre. He took a part-time IT degree online while keeping his job. He learned how to set up secure networks. Got certified in CompTIA Network+. Landed a role as a junior IT support tech. Two years later, he’s managing the whole IT team. Salary: £58,000.
They didn’t get lucky. They picked the right degree. One that matched their life, not their old idea of what "college" should look like.
What to do next
Here’s your simple plan:
- Choose one field from IT, Digital Marketing, or Project Management
- Find a free 5-hour intro course on Coursera, FutureLearn, or Google
- Complete it in a weekend
- Build one small project (a social media post, a simple network diagram, a project timeline)
- Post it on LinkedIn with the title: "Just finished my first course in [field]-here’s what I made."
- Wait for the messages. They’ll come.
You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. You just need to start.
Is it really possible to get a high-paying job with an easy online degree?
Yes. Degrees in IT, Digital Marketing, and Project Management are designed to teach job-ready skills fast. Graduates in the UK regularly earn £40,000-£65,000 within two to three years, often with no prior experience. Employers care more about what you can do than how long you sat in a lecture hall.
Do I need a degree at all, or can I just take online courses?
You don’t always need a full degree. Many roles accept certificates from Google, Microsoft, or Coursera. But a degree gives you structure, credibility, and access to student support, internships, and alumni networks. If you’re serious about a career change, a degree is the stronger long-term option. Start with a course, then upgrade to a degree if you see results.
Are online degrees respected by employers in the UK?
Absolutely. Companies like NHS, BT, Tesco, and Barclays now hire graduates from accredited online programs. The key is choosing a course from a recognized provider-like the University of London, Coventry University, or the Open University. Avoid unaccredited "diploma mills." Check if the course is validated by Ofqual or a UK university.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes. Most of these programs are designed for working adults. You’ll typically spend 8-12 hours a week on coursework. Many assignments are asynchronous-you can submit them anytime before the deadline. Some people finish in 3 years while working 40 hours a week. Others do it in 2 if they’re more available.
What’s the cheapest way to start?
Start with free courses. Google’s Digital Marketing Certificate, Microsoft Learn, and FutureLearn’s free trials let you test the field without spending a penny. If you like it, enroll in a part-time degree with monthly payments. Many UK universities offer income-share agreements-pay nothing until you earn over £25,000 a year.
Final thought
You don’t have to suffer to succeed. The old model-study hard, get debt, hope for a good job-is broken. The new model is simple: learn what employers actually need, build proof you can do it, and move forward. The degrees that pay well and are easy aren’t hidden. They’re just not in the brochures. They’re in the online classrooms where people like you are already changing their lives, one project at a time.