Ten Jobs in America That Need No Residency, No English and No Degree
If you live in America, with legal residency or without it, or you are a new immigrant who does not speak English well and has no American degree or license, and you are looking for a trade that gives you a good income, this article is for you. In it I set out the best jobs you can do inside America even if you have no papers and no language.
Before we start
First: most of the information here concerns the state of New York, because I ask acquaintances and friends who have a connection to each trade. Some jobs may differ from state to state.
Second: the minimum wage in New York State at the time of recording was $15 an hour, but that applies to workers with lawful status. For someone without papers, in some jobs under strict supervision there is no room for much tampering with pay. But in most other jobs, such as working in a shop or restaurant that someone owns, you will mostly be paid less than the minimum wage.
Third: these jobs are easy for anyone to do, so I advise anyone who has a craft or trade, whether a new immigrant or a resident even with unlawful status, to focus on what he does well. Skilled craftsmen are in great demand in America, and none of them should be afraid to offer himself to employers, who usually need workers all year round. Note that the first four jobs can be done by anyone because they depend on physical effort, while the rest need a craft or trade, which is why they pay more. The wages below are what I stated at the time of recording.
First: dishwashing in restaurants
The best-known job that people in the Arab world hear about. A dishwasher usually earns eight to nine dollars an hour, and the work is hard: at least eight or nine hours a day with a half-hour break in the middle. Most immigrants who arrived in America worked in it at the start, because it is in demand all year and easy to get. The easiest way is to walk into any restaurant in your neighborhood or city, and they will probably need a worker.
Second: washing cars at gas stations
A job always in demand, since most gas stations look for workers year round. The average pay is about nine dollars an hour with a daily break to eat. Its advantage over dishwashing is that you deal with the public, so you may get tips that add to your income. Its drawback is that it is tiring and depends on physical effort, and there is fierce competition because everyone without a trade who comes to America starts with it. Many people do it as a first stage to save some money and then move on to something better.
Third: loading and arranging goods
All the shops in America need workers to load and unload goods and arrange them. The advantage is that if you are used to hard physical effort, you get a lot done in a short time and earn good money. The average pay is about nine dollars an hour and rises with your effort and where you work. It is tiring, but some immigrants start with it to save some money and move on to a better step.
Fourth: working in a grocery (the “grocery”)
This is the best-known job among new Arab immigrants, both those who have papers and those who do not yet. A “grocery” is a small supermarket or corner shop. They are common in New York and are mostly owned by Arabs from Yemen or Palestine, so it is a destination for many newly arrived Arabs.
A grocery usually needs two employees all year: the sales worker, whom we call the “deli man,” who sells to customers and makes them sandwiches if the shop sells them, and the cashier who stands at the checkout and gets a little more. The average pay is about ten dollars an hour, and more if you work as a cashier or in an upscale shop that does well. The job is a little tiring, but the effort is less than in jobs that depend on muscle alone, which is why many Arabs prefer to start with it. Many members of the Yemeni community in New York started as grocery workers, then saved some money and bought another grocery or went in with others to buy one, so their success story began with owning an existing business that makes a profit in New York.
Fifth: cook in Middle Eastern restaurants
From here we start the jobs that need a craft, which is why they pay more. A Middle Eastern cook is in demand all year in many restaurants across America, and the average pay is $13 to $15 an hour. Not everyone can cook Middle Eastern food well, so even Middle Eastern restaurants owned by Americans prefer to hire cooks of Arab origin. You can also advance quickly: if you are in a Syrian restaurant and add Moroccan, Turkish or Egyptian dishes to the Syrian food, management will probably appreciate you and raise your pay.
Sixth: construction workers
They are in great demand in the U.S. market all year, and pay is better in states where building never stops, such as New York, Texas and some wealthy states. A tile or ceramic installer or a painter, whom we call a “naqqash” in Egypt, is something no contractor can do without. They get a daily wage of no less than $120 to $130, and need no study, degree or language, and they are in demand even without papers.
Someone with papers, language and an American certificate may reach about $200 a day. That is why many people, when they get their papers, look for a way to study a trade that gets them into the construction market. In every state in America there are institutes where you can learn any trade, such as plumbing or electrical work, for modest fees compared with what you will earn afterward, and you leave with a trade and an American certificate that makes a difference in career progression.
Seventh: electrician
Very much in demand in America, and many immigrants have made millions of dollars from this trade, because every manual trade here is in demand and the American people look at it with great respect. The daily wage of an ordinary electrician is no less than $130, a good figure for someone without residency papers, but he cannot take on a whole job himself, because that requires an American certificate and lawful residency. That is why many Arab immigrants like to learn electrical work even if they knew nothing about it in their own countries, especially if they live here lawfully.
Eighth: air-conditioning and refrigeration technician
A job in great demand, with work available all year: in summer you work as a cooling and air-conditioning technician, and in winter as a heating technician. The average daily wage is about $140 and can go higher, because you deal with the public and can get tips. All this is for a technician with no papers, no language and no American certificate. If you sort out your residency papers and get a certificate or license from America, the figure will at least double. And if you can work for a large company that has contracts with hotels or commercial firms, your daily wage will rise further.
Ninth: plumber
Plumbing is in great demand in America. Many visitors are surprised to learn that getting a plumber to fix something at home is extremely hard, like booking an appointment with a doctor or lawyer. That is why many Arab immigrants prefer to learn plumbing right after arriving. The average daily wage of a plumber is no less than $150, and can easily be doubled if he gets an American license and sorts out his residency papers.
A plumber works in two ways: as an employee of a company, with a fixed salary however many jobs there are but somewhat lower, or freelance, where all the income goes to him but work may slow down for long periods. I advise the new immigrant to work for a company to secure a fixed salary, and to do freelance work on days off through the year.
Tenth: roof repair
A roof repair worker is in demand all year, especially in states with changeable weather: rain, strong winds or snow. In New York State the daily wage is no less than $160. The job is tiring and carries some danger, but it brings a good income to those who do it.
A final word
This is not a call for Arab immigrants to accept their situation if they are living unlawfully, nor to overstay a visa and remain unlawfully, because legal residency opens wider opportunities for career progression and a much larger financial return. Nor is it a call to neglect getting an American certificate or license, or neglect learning English. It is an article in which I wanted to introduce the members of the Arab community to some trades that help them improve their income.
Article originally published on 3 October 2026.