While workers with associate's or bachelor's degrees do earn more on average, there are some relatively high-paying careers out there for people without a college degree.
Intro
Despite rising high school graduation rates, the number of students getting college degrees in the U.S. has dropped. Why the decrease in college enrollment?
One reason could be the ballooning costs of attending university. In the face of expensive tuition fees and potential debt, students may seek other opportunities outside of education. While workers with an associate's or bachelor's degree do earn more on average, there are some relatively high-paying careers out there for people without a college degree.
Career research site CareerTrends found the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree. Using 2015 data from O*NET, an occupation database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, the team identified the required education level for workers in various occupations. We then used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find the jobs with the highest salaries that don't typically require an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. Salaries in this list reflect national averages.
To identify the expected prior education for each job, O*NET regularly surveys each occupation's worker population and asks respondents to note the level of education they believe is required for the job. The prior education listed on each slide corresponds to the most common response from job survey respondents. If a job has multiple education listings it is because there were roughly equal amounts of respondents who gave that answer.
The average salary for jobs on this list is around $62,000. However, the top-paying job boasts a six-figure salary on average. Most of these occupations require high school education and range from sales and management positions to more creative jobs like makeup artists and painters.
*Note: Some of these jobs may require a specific trade degree, certificate or licensing program in addition to the education level listed on each slide.
#50. Mail carriers
Average Salary: $51,130 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Sort mail for delivery. Deliver mail on established route by vehicle or on foot.
*Note: Descriptions for each job were sourced (with minor edits) from the BLS Standard Occupational Classification system.
#49. Rail-track laying equipment operators
Average Salary: $51,340 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Lay, repair and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators.
#48. Choreographers
Average Salary: $51,560 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations.
#47. Brickmasons
Average Salary: $51,750 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Lay and bind building materials, such as brick, structural tile, concrete block, cinder block, glass block and terra-cotta block, with mortar and other substances to construct or repair walls, partitions, arches, sewers and other structures.
#46. Explosives workers and earth drillers
Average Salary: $52,580 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Place and detonate explosives to demolish structures or to loosen, remove or displace earth, rock or other materials. May perform specialized handling, storage and accounting procedures. Includes seismograph shooters. Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn and pneumatic to tap sub-surface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. May use explosives. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
#45. Millwrights
Average Salary: $52,650 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Install, dismantle or move machinery and heavy equipment according to layout plans, blueprints or other drawings.
#44. Costume attendants
Average Salary: $52,870 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Select, fit and take care of costumes for cast members and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
#43. Tapers
Average Salary: $53,080 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Seal joints between plasterboard or other wallboard to prepare wall surface for painting or papering.
#42. Food service managers
Average Salary: $53,640 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Plan, direct or coordinate activities of an organization or department that serves food and beverages.
#41. Railroad operators
Average Salary: $53,990 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate railroad track switches. Couple or uncouple rolling stock to make up or break up trains. Signal engineers by hand or flagging. May inspect couplings, air hoses, journal boxes and hand brakes.
#40. Rebar workers
Average Salary: $54,030 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Position and secure steel bars or mesh in concrete forms in order to reinforce concrete. Use a variety of fasteners, rod-bending machines, blowtorches and hand tools. Includes rod busters.
#39. Rail car repairers
Average Salary: $54,130 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Diagnose, adjust, repair or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars or mass transit rail cars.
#38. Painters
Average Salary: $54,170 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
#37. Telecommunications line installers
Average Salary: $54,200 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
#36. Locomotive firers
Average Salary: $54,540 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Monitor locomotive instruments and watch for dragging equipment, obstacles on rights-of-way and train signals during run. Watch for and relay traffic signals from yard workers to yard engineer in railroad yard.
#35. Crane and tower operators
Average Salary: $54,560 Prior Education: Some College or Associate's Degree, High School Education
Job Description: Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines or products in many directions.
#34. Steel workers
Average Salary: $54,750 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Raise, place and unite iron or steel girders, columns and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
#33. Steamfitters
Average Salary: $55,100 Prior Education: Some College or Associate's Degree, High School Education
Job Description: Lay out, assemble, install or maintain pipe systems, pipe supports or related hydraulic or pneumatic equipment for steam, hot water, heating, cooling, lubricating, sprinkling or industrial production or processing systems.
#32. Mine shuttle operators
Average Salary: $55,120 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate diesel or electric-powered shuttle car in underground mine to transport materials from working face to mine cars or conveyor.
#31. Pile-driver operators
Average Salary: $55,150 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads and foundations of structures, such as buildings, bridges and piers.
#30. Mining roof bolters
Average Salary: $55,500 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate machinery to install roof support bolts in underground mine.
#29. Biomass plant technicians
Average Salary: $55,530 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Control and monitor biomass plant activities and perform maintenance as needed.
#28. Railroad conductors
Average Salary: $56,760 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant or similar location. Conductors coordinate activities of train crew on passenger or freight trains. Yardmasters review train schedules and switching orders and coordinate activities of workers engaged in railroad traffic operations, such as the makeup or breakup of trains and yard switching.
#27. Gas station operators
Average Salary: $57,510 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate steam, gas, electric motor or internal combustion engine driven compressors. Transmit, compress or recover gases, such as butane, nitrogen, hydrogen and natural gas.
#26. Real estate sales agents
Average Salary: $58,410 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Rent, buy or sell property for clients. Perform duties, such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
#25. Supervisors of vehicle operators
Average Salary: $58,470 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.
#24. Chemical plant operators
Average Salary: $59,070 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
#23. Locomotive engineers
Average Salary: $59,360 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Interpret train orders, electronic or manual signals and railroad rules and regulations.
#22. Production supervisors
Average Salary: $59,930 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators and plant and system operators.
#21. Oil drill operators
Average Salary: $60,380 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
#20. Stationary engineers
Average Salary: $60,480 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment, such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines and steam boilers.
#19. Subway operators
Average Salary: $60,580 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive or electric-powered streetcar to transport passengers. May handle fares.
#18. Boilermakers
Average Salary: $60,660 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Construct, assemble, maintain and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries. Align structures or plate sections to assemble boiler frame tanks or vats, following blueprints. Work involves use of hand and power tools, plumb bobs, levels, wedges, dogs or turnbuckles. Assist in testing assembled vessels. Direct cleaning of boilers and boiler furnaces. Inspect and repair boiler fittings, such as safety valves, regulators, automatic-control mechanisms, water columns and auxiliary machines.
#17. Sheriffs and deputy sheriffs
Average Salary: $61,270 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Enforce law and order in rural or unincorporated districts or serve legal processes of courts. May patrol courthouse, guard court or grand jury or escort defendants.
#16. Correctional officer supervisors
Average Salary: $62,770 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
#15. Non-destructive testing specialists
Average Salary: $62,820 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Test the safety of structures, vehicles or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.
#14. Petroleum pump operators
Average Salary: $66,020 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.
#13. Makeup artists
Average Salary: $66,560 Prior Education: Some College or Associate's Degree, High School Education
Job Description: Apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting and situation of their role.
#12. Creative writers
Average Salary: $69,130 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.
#11. Licensing examiners
Average Salary: $69,180 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Examine, evaluate and investigate eligibility for, conformity with or liability under licenses or permits.
#10. Postmasters
Average Salary: $70,540 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Plan, direct or coordinate operational, administrative, management and supportive services of a U.S. post office; or coordinate activities of workers engaged in postal and related work in assigned post office.
#9. Power plant operators
Average Salary: $71,070 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Control, operate or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
#8. Customs brokers
Average Salary: $73,480 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.
#7. Gaming managers
Average Salary: $77,770 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Plan, direct or coordinate gaming operations in a casino. May formulate house rules.
#6. Police records officers and customs inspectors
Average Salary: $79,620 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases, and investigate. Inspect persons, common carriers, goods and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.
#5. Power distributors
Average Salary: $80,400 Prior Education: Some College or Associate's Degree, High School Education
Job Description: Coordinate, regulate or distribute electricity or steam.
#4. Athletes
Average Salary: $80,490 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Compete in athletic events.
#3. Ship pilots
Average Salary: $83,150 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Command ships to steer them into and out of harbors, estuaries, straits or sounds, or on rivers, lakes or bays. Must be licensed by U.S. Coast Guard with limitations indicating class and tonnage of vessels for which license is valid and route and waters that may be piloted.
#2. Nuclear power reactor operators
Average Salary: $88,820 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause and recommend corrective action.
#1. Financial service sales agents
Average Salary: $102,860 Prior Education: High School Education
Job Description: Sell financial services, such as loan, tax and securities counseling to customers of financial institutions and business establishments.
