I'd assume there are a lot of menial tasks within the field that don't require years of academic experience. Not to mention one can learn on the job and get ass

I'd assume there are a lot of menial tasks within the field that don't require years of academic experience. Not to mention one can learn on the job and get assigned increasingly complex tasks as the candidate proves his / her ability to learn quickly. Also, the salary of this type of candidate is probably lower in the long run due to the missing credentials and formal education.