My friend's a scientist, works with oils from trains, ships n stuff. Says its quite good and it sounds pretty interesting. He's not getting paid a lot, he said around £10k but he is getting trained on the job towards certain qualifications. He didn't go to university, and that is by no means a requirement for the career path, just depends at what level you want to enter. Although I have another friend I just remembered who's a graduate in biology and now works testing soil sampleis is earning 14k from being a newly qualified graduate.
I was into science and maths at school, got straight A's at A levels in maths physics and chemistry but decided not to go to university. It is not the great path to wealth and a career it once was, although a lot of doors ARE opened by a decent degree like physics.