It is a long-held misconception that the only route into a professional, well-paid career is with a university degree. The popular view among parents and young people is that apprenticeships are a way into manual jobs with little formal progression.

However, there are many wide and varied career paths that a school leaver without a degree can choose to follow. Here are five of the highest paid apprenticeship options:

1 Financial services apprenticeships

There are a variety of apprenticeships available in financial services, which span a range of specialisms, including: investment, operations, technology and finance. Investment banking companies such as JP Morgan offer a scheme that covers these areas, while Barclays, Lloyds and Santander offer trainee roles in finance, digital technology, audit and management. These schemes are all-inclusive and often come with a guaranteed job offered on successful completion of the apprenticeship. They tend to be London or city-based.

Starting pay before tax: £15,000-£21,996

Qualifying pay before tax: in excess of £31,000

Requirements: three C grades at A-Level or equivalent. English and mathematics grade B or above at GCSE.

2 Business and accountancy apprenticeships

Leading professional services firms such as PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY offer apprenticeships that enable school leavers to become fully-qualified chartered accountants without completing a degree. These jobs span a variety of sectors, including: assurance, technology management consultancy, deals or tax. The trainee schemes are city-based and generally take three to five years to complete, depending on the scheme and qualifications you undertake.

Starting pay before tax: £17,000-£20,000

Qualifying pay before tax: in excess of £25,000

Requirements: five GCSEs, including maths and English, at grade C or above, and three A-levels at grade C.

3 Legal apprenticeships

The government will soon be launching an apprenticeship scheme to enable school leavers to become fully-qualified solicitors without completing a degree. The scheme enables students to sign up straight from school to a five or six year programme of work-based learning and assessment that gives them the qualification of solicitor.

There are also a variety of legal apprenticeship schemes currently used by employers. Top law firms such as Gordons and Fieldfisher combine on-the-job training with Chartered Institute of Legal Executives courses, which qualify people as chartered legal executives. This gives them a similar role to solicitors, however some areas of their work must be supervised.

Other apprenticeship schemes involve partnerships with universities. For example, Co-operative Legal Services has partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University to train employees as paralegals, lawyers and managers.

Starting pay before tax: approximately £17,000

Qualifying pay before tax: in excess of £35,000

Requirements: five GCSEs, including maths and English, at grade C or above, and three A-levels at grade C.

4 Creative or digital marketing apprenticeships

A variety of marketing and social media companies offer apprenticeship schemes aimed at school leavers. These schemes are offered in cities across the UK, and apprentices benefit from a structured development programme, which gives candidates the scope to develop further into management and marketing strategy.

Starting pay before tax: approximately £18,000

Qualifying pay before tax: in excess of £25,000

Requirements: a demonstrable interest in marketing and social media. Work experience in marketing, a creative CV or a personal blog to show off your marketing skills will all be looked at favourably.

5 Computer hardware apprenticeships

Advanced, higher and degree-level apprenticeships are available across the IT sector. From computer manufacturers to software and electronic engineers, these roles are perfect for someone with technical skills who likes solving problems in a logical manner. Apprenticeships in this sector have strong possibilities of progression into leadership and further options to specialise as you progress.

Starting pay before tax: in excess of £15,000

Qualifying pay before tax: once specialised, salaries can reach over £40,000

Requirements: five GCSEs, including maths and English, at grade C or above. Other relevant higher qualifications such as A-levels, NVQs and diplomas are required for a higher apprenticeship.

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