Top 10 Tech Jobs That Don't Require a Degree in Bellevue, WA in 2026

Table of Contents

• You, the Menu Board, and Bellevue’s No-Degree Paths
• Cloud Support Engineer
• Entry-Level Cybersecurity Analyst
• Junior Web Developer
• Junior Data Analyst
• IT Support Specialist / Help Desk
• QA Tester
• Support Software Engineer (Apprenticeship)
• Technical Support Specialist (Customer Success)
• Desktop Support Specialist
• IT Field Technician
• Rewriting the Menu
• Frequently Asked Questions

Cloud Support Engineer

Scroll through Bellevue cloud job listings on your phone at that same Bellevue Square food court, and this role jumps out like the priciest bowl on the screen: cloud support engineers babysitting AWS, Azure, or GCP environments for teams all over the Seattle-Bellevue metro. Regional estimates put AWS-focused cloud support roles around $133,277 in Bellevue, and when you pair that with Washington’s lack of state income tax, the take-home hits differently than similar salaries in high-tax states. That’s why this path often shows up near the top of “best-paying no-degree tech jobs” lists and why, on our menu, it’s one of the heaviest hitters for both pay and AI relevance.

What you do day to day

On the kitchen side of the counter, the job is less about buzzwords and more about calmly untangling other people’s infrastructure problems. A typical day as a cloud support engineer might include:

• Helping customers deploy and troubleshoot services on AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Diagnosing issues with compute, storage, networking, and identity and access management
• Writing scripts (often in Python or Bash) to automate fixes, monitoring, and reports
• Collaborating with dev teams as they migrate apps and databases into the cloud
• Supporting AI and data workloads like large language models (LLMs) and analytics pipelines running on cloud GPUs and managed services

In Bellevue, that often means working with teams inside Amazon, Microsoft, or Eastside AI startups that live and die by cloud uptime. As Career Karma’s analysis of high-paying no-degree tech paths points out, cloud-focused roles sit near the top of the pay scale for people coming from bootcamps or self-study instead of traditional CS programs.

“Cloud engineers are some of the highest-paid tech professionals you can become without a college degree.” - Career Karma, High-Paying Jobs in Tech Without a Degree

Bellevue demand and hiring trends

The reason this bowl is so crowded on local menus is the combination of cloud adoption and skills-first hiring. AWS has publicly launched skills-based hiring for early-career roles, and Bellevue’s growing Amazon offices regularly post cloud and support openings that emphasize certifications and experience over diplomas. At the same time, Microsoft’s Bellevue/Redmond teams continue to post junior cloud and infrastructure roles that accept “equivalent experience,” while regional listings highlighted on Zippia’s no-degree jobs overview show cloud and IT support among the most common higher-paying options for Bellevue residents without four-year degrees. Put simply: if you can prove you know your way around AWS consoles, logs, and APIs, there are plenty of local kitchens willing to hand you an apron.

Path from zero to hired in Bellevue

Realistically, you’re looking at 9-18 months to go from “never touched the cloud” to employable cloud support engineer, if you treat it like a structured recipe instead of random snacking:

1. Foundations (2-3 months)
   • Learn basic Linux, networking, and Python scripting.
   • Work through AWS’s free training and aim for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
2. Structured training (4-6 months)
   • Enroll in a cloud-relevant bootcamp such as Nucamp’s Back End, SQL & DevOps with Python (16 weeks, $2,124), which covers Python, SQL, and DevOps fundamentals that map directly to cloud support work.
   • Practice deploying simple apps to AWS (EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda) and documenting what you did.
3. Certs + projects (3-6 months)
   • Progress to AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate or AWS SysOps Associate to validate deeper skills.
   • Build 3-4 portfolio projects, such as:
     • A personal site hosted on S3 + CloudFront
     • A serverless API using Lambda and API Gateway
     • A small data pipeline feeding an AI or analytics dashboard

Resume tactics without a degree

When you don’t have a four-year CS program to list, you treat your ingredients - certs, bootcamps, and projects - as the main dish on your resume. Lead with an education section that puts “AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (2026)” and “Nucamp Back End, SQL & DevOps with Python Bootcamp, 16 weeks” at the top. Under experience, describe projects as if they were jobs: “Designed and deployed a serverless REST API on AWS (Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway) handling 10k+ test requests/day.” Cloud hiring managers in Bellevue often care more about logs, diagrams, and GitHub repos than transcripts, and pairing this role with something like Nucamp’s Solo AI Tech Entrepreneur bootcamp (25 weeks, $3,980) lets you go beyond keeping the kitchen running - you can start shipping your own AI-powered dishes on the very cloud platforms you’re helping to support.

Entry-Level Cybersecurity Analyst

When you look past the buzzwords and pay ranges, entry-level cybersecurity analyst is the role where you’re basically watching the doors and windows of a company’s digital house. In the Bellevue/Seattle area, junior cybersecurity analysts average around $105,742, and a growing number of those roles are open to people who come in with certifications like CompTIA Security+ instead of a four-year degree. It’s one of the few bowls on the board that combines strong earning potential, clear advancement paths, and a direct line into the AI and cloud conversations happening inside Eastside offices.

What the work actually looks like

Day to day, you’re not “hacking like in the movies” so much as quietly monitoring, investigating, and closing gaps before someone else gets in. Typical tasks for an entry-level cybersecurity analyst include:

• Monitoring logs and alerts for suspicious activity across networks and cloud accounts
• Investigating potential incidents and escalating serious threats to senior analysts
• Helping patch vulnerabilities and harden systems, from servers to SaaS tools
• Documenting incidents and writing clear summaries for non-technical stakeholders
• Educating teams on secure practices, especially around phishing and access control

On the Eastside, that might mean watching over AWS accounts for Amazon Data Services, Microsoft 365 tenants for local enterprises, or the cloud environments behind AI-driven products built by startups in the Spring District.

Why Bellevue needs more cyber talent

The same factors that make Bellevue a cloud and AI hotspot make it a tempting target for attackers: dense concentrations of high-value data, complex hybrid environments, and lots of third-party vendors. Local listings on Indeed’s information technology job board for Bellevue regularly feature security analyst, SOC analyst, and security engineer roles alongside general IT postings, and industry roundups like Alexander Technology Group’s in-demand tech roles report keep placing cybersecurity among the top growth areas. That demand doesn’t erase how competitive the market is, though, especially on the Eastside.

“Breaking into tech without a degree is possible, but the Seattle-Bellevue market is highly competitive. Success often requires niche skills or leveraging contracting agencies to get that first industry role.” - Local professional commentary, r/BellevueWA

Cyber is one of the clearest examples of that: the jobs are there, but hiring managers are picky. Your advantage comes from stacking the right certifications, labs, and projects so you’re not just another resume saying “passionate about cybersecurity.”

A 9-15 month path into SOC roles

If you treat this like a structured training plan instead of a vague interest, you can reasonably go from zero to entry-level cyber analyst in 9-15 months:

1. IT & networking basics (2-3 months)
   • Learn OS fundamentals (Windows, Linux), TCP/IP, firewalls, and VPNs.
   • Consider CompTIA A+ or Network+ as stepping-stone certs if you’re new to IT.
2. Security foundations (3-6 months)
   • Study for and earn CompTIA Security+, a common baseline for entry roles.
   • Use hands-on labs with tools like Wireshark, Nmap, and basic SIEM platforms.
3. Structured training (4-6 months)
   • Join a cybersecurity-focused program such as Nucamp’s Cybersecurity bootcamp (15 weeks, roughly $2,124 in Nucamp’s pricing structure), which emphasizes real-world SOC workflows and incident response.
   • Build a home lab with virtual machines, a small Windows domain, and safe attack/defense scenarios.
4. Real-world exposure (ongoing)
   • Volunteer to secure a local nonprofit’s network or website.
   • Apply for SOC analyst internships or junior roles through Bellevue-area entry-level IT technician listings.

How to position yourself without a degree

Because cybersecurity is both high-stakes and crowded in Bellevue, your resume has to make it obvious that you can do the work today, not someday. Put certifications at the top (“CompTIA Security+ (2026)”; “Nucamp Cybersecurity Bootcamp, 15 weeks”) and use a projects section to talk about what you’ve actually built and defended: a home SOC lab, a small Splunk dashboard for simulated incidents, or a vulnerability assessment you ran for a community group. In your summary, spell out the non-degree path in plain language - something like “Entry-level cybersecurity analyst trained through intensive bootcamp and hands-on labs, focused on log analysis and incident response in cloud and on-prem environments.” For some people, especially if you like pattern recognition, calmly handling pressure, and the idea of being on the front line when something goes wrong, this is the bowl that quietly becomes #1 for you, even if it’s not the flashiest name on the board.

Junior Web Developer

Sit in a Bellevue café any weekday afternoon and you’ll usually see at least one person with VS Code open, React docs on one tab, and job boards on another. Junior web developer is that “balanced bowl” on the menu: not the absolute highest-paid option, but a mix of creative work, solid income, and a clear bridge into AI and data. In the Bellevue area, junior web developers average around $84,496 a year, and plenty of those roles list “degree or equivalent experience” instead of a hard four-year requirement. For a lot of people, it’s the first job where you can literally point at a screen and say, “I built that.”

What you actually build

Behind the glowing job title, the day-to-day work is about turning ideas into working, user-facing features. As a junior web dev, you’ll typically:

• Use HTML, CSS, and modern JavaScript to build and style web pages
• Work with frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular to create interactive frontends
• Hook those frontends up to backends (Node, Python, or cloud functions) via APIs
• Fix bugs, improve performance, and respond to real user feedback
• Increasingly, integrate AI features - like chatbots or recommendations - into existing products

On the Eastside, that might mean building dashboards for an AI analytics startup in the Spring District, prototyping internal tools for a team at Microsoft, or polishing customer-facing flows for a Bellevue SaaS company that runs on AWS.

Bellevue salary and hiring signals

Local job boards consistently show demand for junior devs who can ship things, even without a CS degree, as long as there’s a portfolio to back it up. Seattle-area “software developer no degree” searches turn up a steady mix of postings from startups and big names alike, and some Microsoft listings explicitly call out equivalent experience instead of formal education. Across guides aimed at entry-level tech roles, there’s a recurring theme: your portfolio is the main dish, not the garnish.

“For roles like web development, the key requirement is ‘Skill + portfolio’ rather than a diploma.” - Nucamp, Top 10 Entry-Level Tech Skills to Get Hired Without a Degree

That’s why resources like Nucamp’s guide to entry-level tech skills lean so hard on building real projects - because Bellevue hiring managers increasingly skim GitHub before they ever look at where you went to school.

A 9-12 month path from zero to junior

If you treat this like a recipe instead of a vague dream, you can move from “never coded” to “junior web dev” in about 9-12 months by stacking skills and projects in the right order:

1. Core web skills (2-3 months)
   • Learn HTML, CSS, and modern JavaScript basics, plus Git/GitHub.
   • Build a simple personal site and a couple of small static projects.
2. Structured bootcamp + portfolio (4-6 months)
   • Start with Web Development Fundamentals (4 weeks, $458) to lock in the basics.
   • Move into Front End Web and Mobile Development (17 weeks, $2,124) or Full Stack Web and Mobile Development (22 weeks, $2,604) to learn React, APIs, and backend fundamentals.
   • Ship 3-5 portfolio projects: a responsive marketing site, a React app using a public API, and at least one full-stack CRUD app with authentication.
3. AI-adjacent skills (optional 3-6 months)
   • Add AI Essentials for Work (15 weeks, $3,582) or similar training to learn prompt engineering and how to embed tools like ChatGPT into your apps.
   • Build a project where your web frontend talks to an AI API to answer questions or summarize data.

When this is #1 on your menu

Junior web developer tends to be the right “#1 bowl” if you like seeing your work on-screen, enjoy a mix of design and logic, and want options later - toward front end specialization, full-stack roles, or eventually data and AI work. On your resume, lead with your stack (“JavaScript, React, Node, SQL, Git”) and treat projects like real jobs: “Built a full-stack task manager with React and Node, deployed to the cloud with user authentication and error logging.” If the idea of crafting user experiences for apps in those Bellevue towers excites you more than living in server logs or hardware closets, this is probably the dish you bump to the top of your personal list - even if some salary charts rank it a few slots lower than cloud or cybersecurity.

Junior Data Analyst

If you’re the kind of person who secretly enjoys poking around in spreadsheets or tracking your own budget, junior data analyst is that “extra-protein, low-spice” bowl on the Bellevue tech menu: not the flashiest order, but incredibly powerful long-term. In Bellevue, Junior Data Analysts typically earn $65,000-$95,000, depending on company and tech stack. A growing share of those roles sit inside cloud and AI-adjacent teams at places like Microsoft, AWS, and Eastside startups, and many are open to candidates who can prove strong SQL and analytics skills instead of a four-year degree.

What you do day to day

Underneath the job title, the work is about turning messy real-world data into decisions that make or save money. Typical junior data analyst tasks include:

• Pulling, cleaning, and transforming data using SQL, spreadsheets, and sometimes Python
• Building dashboards in tools like Power BI or Tableau so non-technical teams can self-serve insights
• Answering concrete business questions with metrics, charts, and written summaries
• Working with product or marketing teams to define KPIs and track experiments
• At AI-heavy companies, supporting A/B tests and monitoring the performance of models like Copilot or internal LLMs

In Bellevue, that might mean analyzing usage data for a Copilot feature, visualizing customer churn for a SaaS company downtown, or building a dashboard on King County housing or transit data so leadership can spot trends quickly.

Why this is a direct AI on-ramp

Almost every serious AI or ML project in the Seattle-Bellevue metro depends on clean, well-understood data. Teams building models for recommendation systems, fraud detection, or generative AI features still need people who can write solid SQL, design trustworthy metrics, and catch weird patterns before they poison training sets. Career guides from universities like the University of Maryland Global Campus note that data-focused roles are among the most reliable ways to enter IT without a traditional CS degree, as long as you can demonstrate practical skills and projects in your portfolio; their overview of high-paying IT careers emphasizes that employers increasingly care about what you can build and analyze more than where you studied, especially in entry-level tracks linked to analytics and business intelligence. You see the same pattern in Bellevue job postings: strong assessments, take-home SQL challenges, and case studies often matter more than a diploma.

An 8-14 month path into data work

If you treat this as a structured recipe, you can realistically move from “Excel-only” to “hireable junior analyst” in about 8-14 months:

1. Analytical foundations (2-3 months)
   • Get comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets: pivot tables, XLOOKUP, conditional formatting, and charts.
   • Learn SQL basics (SELECT, JOIN, GROUP BY, simple window functions) and practice on public datasets.
2. Structured learning (4-6 months)
   • Use a backend/data-oriented bootcamp like Nucamp’s Back End, SQL and DevOps with Python (16 weeks, $2,124) to deepen SQL and add Python to your toolkit.
   • Build 2-3 case-study style projects: for example, analyzing several years of King County housing sales or local transit ridership and presenting clear recommendations.
3. AI-flavored add-ons (3-5 months)
   • Learn Python libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib or Seaborn for heavier analyses.
   • Layer in AI by taking something like AI Essentials for Work (15 weeks, $3,582) and using LLMs to help generate SQL, summarize findings, and draft narrative reports.

“It offered affordability, a structured learning path, and a supportive community of fellow learners.” - Nucamp student, bootcamp graduate

When this should be #1 on your list

Junior data analyst tends to be the right top choice if you like numbers more than UI design, enjoy spotting patterns, and want a clear bridge into ML and AI work later. On your resume, lead with tools (“SQL, Excel (advanced), Python (Pandas), Tableau/Power BI”) and describe projects like mini-jobs: “Built an interactive Power BI dashboard for three years of King County housing data; identified pricing segments and seasonality patterns and proposed three data-backed strategies.” If the idea of being the person who can walk into a meeting in downtown Bellevue and calmly answer, “Is this working?” with charts and clear logic appeals to you, this is probably the bowl you quietly move to the top of your personal menu, even if cloud or cybersecurity show slightly higher max salaries on the board.

IT Support Specialist / Help Desk

On a crowded Bellevue lunch break, IT Support Specialist is the tech equivalent of the “intro combo” on the menu board: familiar ingredients, ready fast, surprisingly filling. It’s one of the lowest-barrier ways into tech that still builds a serious foundation for cloud, security, or even AI-support roles later. In Bellevue, IT Support Specialists typically earn $51,688-$77,711, and with Washington’s 0% state income tax, that take-home stretches a little further than it would in a lot of other tech hubs.

What you do day to day

Behind the simple job title, the work is about keeping everyone else productive. As an IT support or help desk specialist, you’ll usually:

• Troubleshoot hardware, software, and login issues for employees or customers
• Manage tickets in systems like ServiceNow or Jira, and close out issues with clear notes
• Set up new laptops and accounts, handle basic networking and permissions
• Guide non-technical users through fixes over chat, email, or phone
• Help people use new tools, increasingly including AI-powered apps and assistants

Bellevue salary and hiring trends

Locally, roles like “Help Desk Analyst,” “IT Support Specialist,” and “Service Desk Technician” show up all over entry-level IT searches, and IT support specialist salary data for Bellevue consistently places the role in that mid-$50k to high-$70k range for early-career workers. Job descriptions often ask for a high school diploma, strong communication skills, and maybe a certification like CompTIA A+ - but stop short of requiring a four-year degree. That lines up with broader Eastside hiring trends where companies from Amazon contractors to regional MSPs emphasize problem-solving and reliability over pedigree.

“Nucamp was the perfect fit. It provided the flexibility I needed to study on my schedule, while still offering great support from instructors.” - Nucamp student, career changer into IT

Path from zero to hired in Bellevue

If you’re starting from scratch, you can realistically land your first IT support role in about 6-9 months by stacking a few key ingredients:

1. Foundations (1-2 months)
   • Learn Windows and macOS basics: user accounts, permissions, updates, simple troubleshooting.
   • Pick up core networking concepts: IP addresses, Wi-Fi issues, DNS, VPNs.
2. Certification (2-4 months)
   • Study for CompTIA A+, the classic entry-level IT cert that many Bellevue employers recognize.
3. Structured training & practice (3-4 months)
   • Add a short bootcamp like Web Development Fundamentals (4 weeks, $458) if you want to understand web-related issues users hit.
   • Or choose Back End, SQL and DevOps with Python (16 weeks, $2,124) if you’re eyeing a path into DevOps or cloud support.
   • Offer “IT setup and support” to friends, family, or local community groups and keep a log of problems solved.

Resume tips without a degree

With help desk, your story is about being dependable, clear, and coachable. In the education section, list CompTIA A+ (completed or in progress) and any bootcamps, then let your experience - paid or volunteer - show your people skills: “Resolved 20-30 customer issues per shift with 95%+ satisfaction scores.” Under projects, mention things like setting up a small office network or configuring laptops for a local nonprofit. If you like talking to people, don’t mind repetitive problems, and want a role that can grow into cloud, security, or automation once you add more “toppings” (certs and scripting), IT support is often the bowl you quietly slide to the top of your own menu, even if it sits mid-pack on generic Top 10 lists.

QA Tester

QA Tester is the taste-test station of Bellevue tech: you’re the one making sure what ships out of the kitchen actually works. On paper, entry-level QA testers in Bellevue typically earn around $45,000-$75,000, and many employers don’t insist on a CS degree as long as you can demonstrate testing skills and familiarity with the right tools. It’s a solid choice if you’re detail-oriented, like breaking things on purpose, and want a realistic way into engineering or AI-adjacent work without jumping straight into full-time coding.

What you do day to day

Under the hood, QA is less about “clicking around” and more about systematically proving whether software does what it’s supposed to. Typical tasks include:

• Executing test cases and logging bugs in tools like Jira or Azure DevOps
• Reproducing issues reported by users and narrowing down root causes
• Collaborating with developers to clarify requirements and edge cases
• For automation roles, writing scripts (often in JavaScript, Python, or Java) using frameworks like Selenium or Playwright
• At AI and data companies, validating AI features: testing prompts, checking model outputs, and ensuring integrations behave consistently

On the Eastside, that might mean testing web apps for a fintech in downtown Bellevue, running regression suites for an AI SaaS startup in the Spring District, or validating new features for enterprise tools used by teams at Microsoft or Amazon.

Bellevue salary and hiring trends

While QA isn’t at the very top of the pay board, it consistently shows up in overviews of “basic tech jobs that don’t require a degree” and is often recommended as a practical entry point for non-traditional candidates. A research.com roundup of degree-free tech careers highlights software testing alongside IT support and web development as roles where certifications or short-term training can substitute for formal education. Locally, organizations ranging from mid-size consultancies to specialized shops like Blueprint Technologies rely on QA to keep releases from breaking production, and employers frequently accept bootcamp experience or vocational programs in place of a four-year CS degree.

“The company culture fosters collaboration and growth, allowing workers to test, learn, and improve.” - Employee review of Blueprint Technologies, Bellevue, WA

A 6-12 month path into QA (manual + automation)

If you treat QA like a structured recipe instead of a side dish, you can go from zero to entry-level tester in about 6-12 months:

1. Testing basics (1-2 months)
   • Learn core concepts: unit, integration, regression, smoke, and user acceptance testing.
   • Practice writing clear bug reports with reproduction steps, expected vs. actual results, and severity.
2. Manual testing practice (2-3 months)
   • Test small web apps (open source, friends’ projects, or your own) and track issues in a simple spreadsheet or free tool.
   • Create basic test plans and regression checklists you can show in interviews.
3. Automation + web skills (3-6 months)
   • Learn a scripting language like JavaScript or Python.
   • Enroll in a web or backend bootcamp (for example, Full Stack Web and Mobile Development or Back End, SQL and DevOps with Python) so you understand how apps are built.
   • Pick up browser automation with Selenium or Playwright and build a small automated test suite against a demo site.
4. AI-focused testing (optional)
   • Add prompt-engineering skills via an AI-focused course so you can design tests around LLM behavior and edge cases.

When QA should be your #1

QA Tester belongs at the top of your personal list if you love spotting inconsistencies, enjoy structured checklists, and are curious about how software breaks more than how it’s architected. On your resume, highlight skills like “test case design, bug reporting (Jira), Selenium WebDriver, API testing (Postman)” and frame projects as real experience: “Designed and executed 150+ test cases for a React web app; identified and documented 40+ bugs with clear severity and repro steps.” If you like the idea of being the last line of defense between buggy features and real users in those Bellevue office towers, QA can be the right first bowl - even if generic salary rankings place it a notch below cloud or security roles.

Support Software Engineer (Apprenticeship)

Support Software Engineer (Apprenticeship) is the “chef-in-training” option on Bellevue’s tech menu: you’re in the kitchen from day one, learning the house recipes under experienced engineers while getting paid. In the Bellevue area, apprentice or support software engineer roles at companies like Visa typically offer around $47,923-$73,000 to early-career hires, and they’re explicitly designed for people without CS degrees but with demonstrable coding skills. Instead of trying to leap straight into a mid-level dev job, you’re signing up for a structured, paid learning curve inside a real codebase.

What you do day to day

Behind the title, the work looks a lot like a hybrid between junior developer and tier-3 support. A typical support software engineer apprenticeship has you:

• Triage and fix production bugs, often starting with simpler issues and working up to trickier ones
• Maintain internal tools, scripts, and integrations that other teams rely on
• Write small features or enhancements under the guidance of senior engineers
• Read and navigate large, existing codebases, learning patterns and best practices
• Participate in code reviews, standups, and on-call rotations as your skills grow

Bellevue demand and how apprenticeships work

In Bellevue, apprenticeships line up neatly with the broader skills-first shift at big employers. Visa’s local office is a good example: its early-career programs emphasize mentorship, on-the-job training, and a collaborative environment rather than a strict degree filter. The company’s own careers page describes an environment where new engineers are brought in to learn and contribute side by side with experienced staff, noting that people join a culture built around shared problem-solving and growth. As Visa’s U.S. careers overview puts it, these roles are about building a long-term career with support, not just filling a short-term seat.

“You’ll join a culture of collaboration where you can grow your skills through mentorship, on-the-job learning, and meaningful projects.” - Visa U.S. Careers

A 9-18 month path into a support apprenticeship

If you treat this as a deliberate recipe instead of a vague hope, a realistic timeline from “new to code” to apprenticeship-ready is about 9-18 months:

1. Core programming (3-6 months)
   • Pick one language (often JavaScript or Python) and learn loops, functions, data structures, and basic algorithms.
   • Build 2-3 small apps (command-line tools, simple web apps) to prove you can ship working code.
2. Structured bootcamp + portfolio (4-6 months)
   • Complete a full-stack track like Nucamp’s Full Stack Web and Mobile Development (22 weeks, $2,604) or the Complete Software Engineering Path (11 months, $5,644).
   • Create capstone projects with authentication, error handling, tests, and deployment so they resemble real production systems.
3. Apprenticeship prep (2-6 months)
   • Focus on reading and debugging other people’s code, not just writing new features.
   • Contribute to open-source or small community projects to show you can collaborate with a team and work in existing repos.

When this should be #1 on your list

This path usually deserves the top spot on your personal menu if you want a clear, supported bridge into software engineering and you’d rather learn inside a real team than grind alone on tutorials. On your resume, frame yourself as “support-oriented”: highlight debugging, maintaining existing code, and collaborating via pull requests, not just greenfield projects. Something like “Maintained and extended an existing Node.js codebase, fixing 15+ logged issues and raising test coverage from 0% to 60%” reads exactly like what a Bellevue apprenticeship manager wants to see. If the idea of being paid to learn in the kitchen, side by side with experienced engineers in those glass towers downtown, sounds better than trying to skip straight to head chef, Support Software Engineer (Apprenticeship) might quietly become your real #1, even if it doesn’t top every generic salary chart.

Technical Support Specialist (Customer Success)

Technical Support Specialist - often rolled into “Customer Success” or “Technical Account” titles - is the front counter of Bellevue’s tech scene. You’re the one talking directly to customers, translating error messages and odd behavior into something that product and engineering teams can fix. In this lane, Technical Support Specialists typically earn $64,000-$79,184 in Bellevue, and many postings call for strong communication plus product knowledge rather than a four-year degree. With Washington’s 0% state income tax, that range feels a bit more generous in your actual paycheck than it might in other tech hubs.

What you actually do with customers

Day to day, this role is less about deep server logs and more about being the calm, technical adult in the room when something breaks. A typical Technical Support / Customer Success Specialist will:

• Answer questions over email, chat, or phone about how to use specific software products
• Walk customers through troubleshooting steps for login issues, configuration problems, and integrations
• Escalate complex bugs and feature requests to engineering teams with clear, reproducible descriptions
• Create and maintain help center content: FAQs, step-by-step guides, and short videos
• Use AI tools to draft responses, summarize logs, or generate first-draft documentation that you then polish

On the Eastside, that might mean supporting logistics tools out of an Amazon building downtown, onboarding enterprise clients for an Accenture-backed SaaS platform, or helping small teams use AI-powered features embedded in their CRM or analytics tools.

Bellevue pay and the job market

In practice, these jobs show up all over Bellevue under titles like “Technical Support Specialist,” “Customer Success Engineer,” and “Technical Account Representative.” Listings for roles at places like Amazon’s Bellevue customer service and logistics hub often emphasize enthusiasm for technology and problem-solving over formal CS education. Because so many SaaS and cloud companies rely on renewals and happy users, strong customer-facing technical staff are treated as revenue protectors, not just cost centers - which is one reason this path can be both stable and upwardly mobile if you’re good at it.

“I searched and searched for a bootcamp I could afford and Nucamp was the best option for me.” - Nucamp student, transitioning into tech support

A 4-8 month path into technical support

If you’re starting from outside tech, you can usually move into a technical support role in about 4-8 months by stacking product knowledge, basic technical skills, and communication practice:

1. Product and web basics (1-2 months)
   • Learn how modern web apps work: accounts, cookies, browsers, and common error patterns.
   • Practice explaining technical ideas in plain English, as if you’re talking to a stressed customer.
2. Structured upskilling (2-4 months)
   • Take a short coding or IT fundamentals bootcamp (for example, a 4-week web fundamentals course) so you understand what’s happening under the hood.
   • Get hands-on with ticketing tools (Zendesk, Freshdesk, or Jira Service Management) using trial accounts or tutorials.
3. AI and documentation skills (1-2 months)
   • Learn prompt engineering and AI-assisted writing through a practical AI course focused on workplace tools.
   • Build a small portfolio of mock tickets, response templates, and help articles you can show in interviews.

When this should be your #1

Technical Support Specialist belongs at the top of your personal list if you genuinely like talking to people, don’t mind repetitive questions, and get satisfaction from turning confusion into clarity. On your resume, lead with communication metrics from any past job (“Maintained 4.8/5 average customer satisfaction across 1,000+ interactions”) and pair them with concrete tech skills (“technical troubleshooting, ticketing systems, SQL basics, AI-assisted support”). If the idea of being the person customers remember when they think “That company actually helped me” feels more appealing than living deep in infrastructure or code, this is probably the bowl you push to #1, even if other roles show slightly higher max salaries on the glowing board.

Desktop Support Specialist

Desktop Support Specialist is the comfort-classic bowl of Bellevue tech: hands-on, predictable, and present in almost every mid-size and large company from downtown office towers to the Spring District. Regional estimates put Desktop Support Specialists in Bellevue between $62,153 and $74,000, and because Washington takes 0% state income tax, more of that paycheck lands in your pocket than it would in higher-tax states. If you like physically working with machines as much as you enjoy helping people, this is one of the most straightforward ways to get inside the building without a degree.

What you do day to day

Behind the simple title, desktop support is about making sure every laptop, desktop, and conference room rig “just works” so everyone else can do their jobs. Typical tasks include:

• Setting up and imaging laptops and desktops for new hires or refresh cycles
• Troubleshooting hardware failures, OS issues, and software installs on Windows and macOS
• Managing peripherals like printers, monitors, docking stations, and webcams
• Handling basic account tasks such as password resets and group membership in tools like Active Directory
• Sometimes supporting server rooms or AV gear in conference rooms for hybrid meetings

Bellevue salary and hiring demand

Across the Eastside, companies from city government to consultancies list desktop or endpoint support among their entry-level IT technician roles. Salary aggregators such as ZipRecruiter’s IT support specialist data for Bellevue show similar ranges to the $62k-$74k band, with room to grow as you pick up certifications and scripting. Many postings explicitly prefer CompTIA A+ and solid troubleshooting experience over a four-year degree, which makes this path especially friendly to career changers coming from retail, hospitality, or trades. Even within public-sector teams, reviews of the City of Bellevue’s IT department on Glassdoor highlight how much environment matters:

“Great coworkers and a supportive environment made it a good place to start an IT career.” - Employee review, City of Bellevue, Washington, via Glassdoor

Path from zero to hired in 6-9 months

If you treat this like a structured recipe instead of a vague hope, you can realistically move into desktop support in about 6-9 months:

1. Hardware & OS basics (1-2 months)
   • Learn to install Windows and macOS, manage drivers, run built-in diagnostics, and handle basic backups.
   • Practice disassembling and reassembling a PC (even a cheap used one) to get comfortable with components.
2. Certification (2-4 months)
   • Study for CompTIA A+, focusing on hardware, operating systems, and troubleshooting flows.
3. Real-world exposure (2-3 months)
   • Volunteer to manage devices for a local nonprofit, school club, or small business.
   • Keep a “troubleshooting log” of every issue you fix, what you tried, and what worked - this becomes interview material.
4. Optional: cloud & automation
   • Add scripting and basic cloud knowledge through a backend or DevOps-focused bootcamp if you want a path toward endpoint management at scale, system administration, or cloud operations.

When this should be your #1

Desktop support deserves the top spot on your personal list if you like being on your feet, enjoy hands-on work, and want lots of face time with coworkers rather than sitting deep in logs or code. On your resume, lead with concrete skills - “Windows 10/11, macOS, imaging tools, hardware diagnostics, basic networking” - and treat volunteer or side work like formal experience: “Configured and maintained 25+ laptops for a local nonprofit, including OS installation, antivirus, and VPN setup.” If the idea of being the person everyone in the office calls when their machine misbehaves sounds more appealing than invisible back-end work, this is probably the bowl you bump to #1 on your menu, even if cloud or cyber show higher ceilings on that glowing salary board.

IT Field Technician

IT Field Technician is the food-truck option on Bellevue’s tech strip: you’re mobile, on the road, and every day’s a bit different. Instead of sitting in one office all week, you’re driving between client sites from downtown Bellevue to warehouse districts in Kent, fixing whatever’s broken that day. Starting out, IT Field Technicians in the Bellevue/Eastside area typically earn $50,000-$60,000, and many roles are open to candidates with a high school diploma, some certs, and solid hands-on skills rather than a four-year degree.

What the job really looks like

Behind the title, field tech work is about being the person companies call when they need physical tech problems solved right now. Typical day-to-day tasks include:

• Driving to client sites to install and repair desktops, laptops, printers, and point-of-sale systems
• Setting up routers, switches, and Wi-Fi networks for small offices or retail locations
• Running and testing basic cabling, replacing failing hardware, and documenting your work
• Deploying and imaging devices in bulk during office moves or new store openings
• Escalating complex networking or server issues back to a central engineering team

You might start your morning imaging a set of laptops for a Bellevue accounting firm, spend midday fixing a POS terminal in a Factoria retail shop, and finish the afternoon bringing a small warehouse back online after a switch failure.

Bellevue pay and who hires field techs

On the Eastside, a lot of this work is routed through MSPs (managed service providers) and regional firms like Computer Resource Corporation (CRC), which handle IT for multiple small and mid-size clients. You’ll also see field tech roles tied to national service providers that contract with retailers, medical offices, and logistics companies. Overviews like Zippia’s snapshot of Bellevue jobs that don’t require a degree consistently show hands-on IT roles - support, help desk, and field work - among the most accessible options for people without traditional four-year backgrounds. The trade-off is that while starting pay is lower than cloud or cybersecurity, you gain very broad real-world experience with networks, devices, and users in a short amount of time.

A 4-9 month path into field tech

If you’re starting near zero but you’re comfortable driving and like hands-on work, you can realistically move into an IT field technician role in about 4-9 months:

1. Hardware and networking basics (1-2 months)
   • Learn PC components, how to install Windows, and how to troubleshoot common boot and hardware issues.
   • Study basic networking: IP addressing, DHCP, DNS, and Wi-Fi setup.
2. Certifications (2-4 months)
   • Earn CompTIA A+ to validate general IT repair and support skills.
   • Consider CompTIA Network+ to stand out for router/switch work.
3. Hands-on client-style practice (1-3 months)
   • Set up small networks and devices for friends, family, or local small businesses.
   • Document each visit with before/after notes, diagrams, and what you’d do differently next time.

When this belongs at the top of your list

IT Field Technician is usually the right #1 if you don’t want to be chained to a desk, enjoy driving around the Eastside, and get satisfaction from fixing physical problems in the real world. On your resume, emphasize reliability (“completed 100+ on-site service calls with 98% on-time arrival”), independence, and a spread of environments you’ve worked in (retail, office, warehouse). If you like the idea of learning networks, hardware, and user support by seeing as many real setups as possible in your first couple of years, this is the bowl you quietly slide to the top of your personal menu - even if cloud and cybersecurity look fancier on the glowing salary board.

Rewriting the Menu

Back at the Bellevue Square food court, the lunch rush has picked up. The “TOP 10 MOST POPULAR BOWLS” banner is still pulsing over your head, but it doesn’t feel as intimidating now that you’ve seen what’s actually behind each option on the tech menu: cloud, cyber, web, data, support, QA, apprenticeships, and all the hands-on roles that keep those glass towers running. In a city where Amazon badges and Microsoft fleeces are just part of the scenery and Washington’s 0% state income tax stretches every dollar of your paycheck, the real challenge isn’t finding opportunity - it’s deciding which bowl belongs at the top of your list.

Step 1: Pick 2-3 roles that could be your personal #1

Start by circling just two or three roles from this list that feel like they could realistically be your “go-to order,” not the one that looks best on someone else’s Instagram. Think about:

• High pay fast: Cloud Support Engineer, Entry-Level Cybersecurity Analyst
• Love building products: Junior Web Developer, Support Software Engineer (Apprenticeship)
• Data/AI-curious: Junior Data Analyst, QA Tester working on AI features
• People-first: Technical Support Specialist, IT Support / Help Desk
• Hands-on hardware: Desktop Support Specialist, IT Field Technician

Then layer in your constraints: Are you okay with night shifts? Do you want to avoid phones? Does math energize you or drain you? Bellevue’s market is competitive, so “I could tolerate this” usually isn’t enough - you want roles where you’re willing to outwork the person behind you in line.

Step 2: Choose your core ingredients (one cert + one program)

Once you’ve got 2-3 target roles, the next move is to pick one certification and one structured program as your base recipe. Affordable options matter here: Nucamp’s bootcamps typically run from $2,124 to $3,980 for multi-month programs (vs. $10,000+ at many competitors), with schedules designed so you can keep working while you retrain. Outcomes data shows about a 78% employment rate and roughly 75% graduation, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.5/5 stars and around 80% five-star reviews - reassuring numbers if you’re betting on a skills-first path instead of a four-year degree.

Step 3: Build 2-3 projects, then get in the line

For Bellevue employers, especially in AI and cloud teams, the gate to “no-degree” roles usually swings open when you can show one relevant cert plus 2-3 solid, documented projects. That’s when you start applying to openings that say “degree or equivalent experience” - not after you’ve checked every box on a giant learning plan. Career advice roundups like Nucamp’s guide to entry-level tech skills keep coming back to the same point: the combination of practical skills and a visible portfolio consistently beats credentials alone.

“The highest-paying tech jobs don’t always require a college degree - but they do require proof that you can actually do the work.” - Tallo, High-Paying Tech Jobs Without a Degree

So as you walk out of Bellevue Square and back toward your bus stop or bootcamp cohort, don’t let the glowing “Top 10” boards - online or over the food court - decide for you. Use them as reference, then rewrite the menu: pick 2-3 roles that fit your life, choose one cert and one affordable program as your base, sketch out 2-3 projects you can finish in the next few months, and start sending applications as soon as those ingredients come together. In a skills-first Eastside market, you’re not just ordering off the board - you’re quietly designing your own dish, and the kitchens in those towers are increasingly willing to hire the person who can show up, roll up their sleeves, and cook.

Frequently Asked Questions