10 Best Tech Careers That Do Not Require Coding

Coding can be fun and rewarding, but it’s not for everyone. So, it’s okay to desire a tech career that does not require coding.

As technology continues to drive most areas of the economy, tech jobs will remain in demand. These jobs may come in different varieties and require different skills, but they all need you to be technically inclined.

Non-coding tech jobs also offer competitive salaries, nice working conditions, and extras. And while they mostly require that you hold a degree in a related field, industry-specific training programs and some basic programming knowledge can also be a big help. 

This article lists the top 10 non-coding tech careers that you can get into.

Top 10 Non-Coding Tech Careers

Here are the tech careers for non-coders:

1. Product Manager

This is a high-paying job that also has quite a few requirements. The product manager is responsible for the development and management of a product. And this product can be anything from software to hardware, including specialized tools.

The job of a product manager is to identify customer needs, design a product to fill those needs, then create a team to develop the product. He will also keep the financial aspect in mind, making sure the product will generate a good return on the company’s investment.

A product manager might not need to be a coder, but having a good understanding of coding principles can be immensely helpful. This is especially true when working with a software or web company.

Other necessary skills include communication, emotional intelligence, the ability to see the big picture, and general management capabilities. A bachelor’s degree in product management or something similar is also required.

Furthermore, while a small company can have a single product manager, larger firms will often have a large product management team. This team can then be broken down into positions like Chief Product Officer, Lead Product Manager, and Product Manager.

2. Data Analyst

Web servers and bots collect terabytes of information across the globe every day and it is well known that data is gold. However, someone has to intelligently mine this data to release its value, and that’s where data analysts come in.

A data analyst’s job involves data collection, cleaning, scanning, interpretation, and presentation to find trends that can help a company to make profits. This is usually carried out using business intelligence or other analytics software.

A data analyst’s job might include reviewing customers’ data to solve problems, helping management to reach strategic decisions based on product or customer data, cutting business costs, and so on.

While data scientists are required to know the Python and SQL languages at the very least, a data analyst just needs to be familiar with analytics tools. Although some data analyst positions might still require some coding knowledge.

3. UI & UX Design

UI design and UX design are two different but related careers. UI refers to User Interface, while UX is for User Experience. Both careers, however, focus on creating web pages for users and can be done by a single person.

UXD or User Experience Design is about creating navigation of the flow of interactions between a software product and its user. This experience focuses on making sense to the user, by logically flowing from one step to the next in an intelligent and friendly way.

User Interface design, on the other hand, focuses on making the interface look good. Here, all that matters is appearance – colors, styles, images, location, mobile-friendliness, transition effects, and so on.

So, if you got an eye for style and colors, then UI design might be for you. If you are more of a logical organizer, then UX design might be it. And if you’ve got both skills, then of course you can also become a UI/UX designer.

4. SEO & SEM

SEO and SEM are often lumped together, but they are not the same. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, while SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. SEO is a part of SEM, which is the broader term for all search engine-related marketing.

Search Engine Marketing includes everything from SEO to PPC (Pay Per Click Ads), Social Media Marketing, content marketing, marketing analysis, consultations, and so on.

One issue with an SEO career, however, is that you need results to get results. In other words, you need a portfolio of your past work to guarantee success in landing a great job or contract. The problem is that good SEO takes time to get results. So, you will need to look at it for the longer term.

Other parts of SEM might come easier, as it might take just a few days to create and test a profitable PPC campaign, for instance.

5. IT Business Analyst

If you are good in the IT and business administration fields, then you can combine your knowledge into a career as an IT business analyst.

This role connects the company’s management with the technical department and helps to develop and maintain the IT infrastructure that the company needs to survive and thrive.

In addition, an IT business analyst also keeps an eye out for changes in both the business and IT fields and takes the necessary steps to prevent the company from falling behind the competition.

You will need a degree in business administration and the information field for this career path. An analytical and highly-accurate approach is also helpful, as well as industry certifications and experience.

6. Graphic Designer

Although the graphic designer primarily creates artwork, the career needs detailed technical knowledge, as well as interaction with other tech professionals.

A graphic designer simply uses graphic design tools to create visual imagery, depending on the requirements. Graphic design can include animation design, publishing, branding, product, and website design.

An artistic and highly-creative mind is a must here, as well as a degree in the field. You should also be skilled in tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and so on. And have a good portfolio of your work.

7. Technical Writer

The job of a technical writer involves transforming complex ideas into easy-to-understand texts. Technical writing is a vast field that employs writers with all types and levels of experience.

Depending on the company and its needs, a technical writer may have to write instruction manuals for products, tutorials, policies, documentations, and similar content that require good technical understanding.

Employers can also range from governments to academia, energy, high-tech, Internet firms, transportation, broadcasting, and so on.

For requirements, a degree in English, journalism, or communication will be preferred. Many firms can also require further degrees in the specified technical field, such as computing, engineering, manufacturing, and so on.

8. Social Media Manager

The potential customers of most consumer-centric businesses today are on social media, and a social media manager takes care of their interaction on behalf of the company.

From creating viral videos and GIFs to creating other graphic content, analyzing engagement across social media platforms, and communications, organizing product launches, running paid ads, and managing the overall image of the company, there’s a lot to do.

A social media manager needs to be good at writing, have some level of SEO knowledge, be good at customer service, be creative, and understand marketing and branding.

9. Project Manager

A project manager is responsible for bringing specific projects in an organization to completion. This usually includes planning, team management, execution, monitoring, and resource management.

Now, while a product can be a project, most products are usually made up of many projects, especially in larger organizations. So, that’s the difference between a project manager and a product manager.

As you can understand, this is a top-level position in most organizations, so the requirements are often high as well. Typically requested is a bachelor’s degree or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. You may also need about 3 years of experience, plus communication and leadership skills.

If you are a techie and good in leadership, project planning, and risk management with good decision-making abilities, then you may want to consider a career as a project manager.

10. Technical Support

Technical support is a broad term for different related positions. They range from IT support to help desk technicians, network technicians, and so on.

The basic issue here is that you have an above-average understanding of the specific tools or system at hand. Plus, you are also good at communication and able to help people with your knowledge to solve their technical issues.

You will most often need a degree in computer science or information technology, plus certifications in specific technologies such as Microsoft and Linux.

Conclusion

We have come to the end of this list of the top 10 tech careers that do not require coding. And as you can see, technology is a broad field with lots of opportunities.

Choosing which path to take is up to you here. Just make sure it’s something you either love to do or that arouses your curiosity.