This story is part of CNBC Make It's Ditching the Degree series, where women who have built six-figure careers without a bachelor's degree reveal the secrets of their success. Got a story to tell? Let us know! Email us at AskMakeIt@cnbc.com.

Ashley Quezada has found a career she loves in a place some dread, and others avoid: the dentist's office.

For the past decade, Quezada, 38, has worked as a dental hygienist in offices throughout California. 

It's a lot different than the career Quezada imagined for herself as a teenager growing up in northern Virginia. Inspired by her father, who served in the U.S. military, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy when she was 17 and left for boot camp in June 2004, two weeks after graduating from high school. 

"I was undecided on what I wanted to do after high school and my dad was always a huge inspiration to me, pushing me to be my best self, take risks and help others," Quezada recalls. "I wanted to follow in his footsteps." 

Quezada spent the next three years working as a military police officer in the Navy, a job that took her to Spain, Greece, Bahrain and other far-flung countries. 

But when Quezada met her now ex-husband — an active-duty Marine — balancing two military careers became difficult, especially after the birth of her first son. "It's hard when you're in two different branches … getting stationed together in the same place is nearly impossible," she says.

In 2007, just a year after becoming a mother, Quezada decided to leave the military. "I needed a different career path that would create stability for our son and future children," she says. 

Her transition from the military to working in dentistry was inspired by another family member — her aunt, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard before becoming a dental hygienist. 

"She raved about the work-life balance and how fulfilling it was to work with patients," Quezada recalls. "As a new mom, that resonated with me, and I liked the idea of having another job focused on helping people, just in a different setting."

Now, Quezada is a dental hygienist and earns about $140,000 a year as a specialty regional director at Pacific Dental Services in Murrieta, California. 

Here's how Quezada made the switch and built a six-figure career that allows her to make her own schedule and pursue a side hustle she's passionate about — without a college degree:

Leaving the Navy to work in health care

Quezada decided to become a dental assistant first to see how she felt working chairside with patients before committing to the schooling and training required to become a dental hygienist. 

Shortly after leaving the Navy, Quezada moved back home to northern Virginia and completed a nine-week dental assistant certificate program at a local community college. 

During the week she worked part-time as a bank teller, and on weekends, she attended classes, where she learned basic tooth anatomy, the ins and outs of medical billing, equipment sterilization and other skills. 

Within months of completing her certification in early 2008, Quezada began working as a dental assistant in Northern Virginia.

 But she quickly realized that she wanted more — specifically, a role where she could make a deeper impact on patients' health and well-being. 

In 2012, when her then-husband received new military orders to California, Quezada enrolled in Concorde Career College's dental hygienist program in San Diego.

She graduated from the program, which cost about $81,000, with her associate degree in dental hygiene in 2014. 

The requirements to become a dental hygienist vary state by state, but at a minimum, prospective hygienists need to have an associate degree; pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam in addition to a state or regional clinical exam; and complete extensive training in patient care (performing cleanings, taking X-rays, etc.). 

Quezada started working as a dental hygienist for a temp agency as soon as she graduated to gain experience in different office environments. She made $45 an hour — double what she had earned as a dental assistant.

Within two years, Quezada started earning $100,000 and landed a full-time job as a dental hygienist at Pacific Dental Services (PDS) in Riverside, California. 

"Most dental hygienists can expect to earn six figures straight out of school," Quezada points out, adding that the field is an "amazing option" for those without a bachelor's degree. 

Dental hygienists earn, on average, about $93,000 a year, regardless of their educational background, according to ZipRecruiter. 

This is largely due to a persistent shortage of licensed professionals: The American Dental Association reports that 40% of dental practices are struggling to fill hygienist positions. The demand for dental hygienists is expected to rise as the need for dental services increases with an aging population. 

'I'm never bored'

Quezada says the hardest part of working in the dental field is managing uncooperative or nervous patients, as many people struggle with dental anxiety or fear. 

She's tried to curb those bad feelings by making her dental cleanings feel like "spa treatments," Quezada jokes, hiding an oil diffuser in the corner of the office, offering patients a warm blanket or playing soothing music in the background. 

Overall, Quezada says working in the dental field is exciting and has kept her on her toes; although she's still a licensed dental hygienist, she's recently taken on other responsibilities at PDS, working as a professional development coach and a specialty regional director, her current job title. 

In the role, which Quezada has had since 2021, she mentors new hygienists and oversees nearly 30 dental offices in the southwest United States, helping them run their day-to-day operations and use new technologies like oral DNA and saliva screening in their practice. 

"I wear a lot of hats, but I love it," she says. "I get to work with so many people and learn so many different things, I'm never bored." 

Quezada says the flexibility of working in the dental field has been one of the best benefits; as a hygienist, she worked four days a week, and now, she says, PDS trusts her to choose her own hours and adjust her schedule as needed. She can also work from home 1-2 days per week. 

"If one of my sons has something at school, whether it's a class event or a presentation, I can adjust my meetings and make sure I'm there," Quezada, who's a mom of two, says. It's a freedom I don't think I'd have in many other professions."

That flexibility has also allowed her to pursue her passion for fitness, and take on a side hustle as a part-time spin instructor. 

"It's something I absolutely love, and I'm so grateful I found a career that supports that passion," she says. 

As dentistry continues to evolve, Quezada is excited about the future of her field and the new opportunities it offers, especially for those who don't see a four-year degree in their future. 

"It's such a dynamic and rewarding career," says Quezada, "and in a market where hygienists are high in demand, there's no ceiling on how much you can earn, the opportunities you have."

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