
Highest-paying jobs in Riverside that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Riverside that don't require a college degree
From the moment they arrive on campus, today’s high school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. They hear it from their guidance counselors, teachers, parents, family members, neighbors, and coaches. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students’ future careers, it’s not necessary for all fields — something admissions officers and guidance counselors sometimes fail to mention.
To find the highest paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, Stacker consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to compile a list of all jobs that don’t require higher education. All professions that listed a high school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary nondegree award, or no formal education requirements for entry-level positions were considered. Jobs that didn’t list any entry-level education requirement were excluded, as were job titles that grouped several positions together. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the highest paying jobs in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $63,160
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- Employment: 10,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($89,080)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($87,130)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($86,160)

#49. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,280
- Employment: 145,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#48. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,710
- #299 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,780
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,330
- Employment: 629,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($90,410)

#47. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $65,200
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)

#46. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $65,470
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,790
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- Employment: 417,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)
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#45. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $66,190
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,850
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)

#44. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $66,360
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,430
- Employment: 55,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)

#43. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,410
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,270
- Employment: 68,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($83,340)
#42. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $67,450
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- Employment: 51,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)
#41. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $67,490
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- Employment: 466,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)
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#40. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $67,880
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,260
- Employment: 39,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

#39. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $67,960
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,290
- Employment: 317,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($114,210)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($98,150)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($97,470)

#38. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $68,340
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)

#37. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,960
- Employment: 16,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($97,000)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($88,350)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,440)

#36. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $69,110
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890)
--- Fresno, CA ($86,230)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)
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#35. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $69,570
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,080
- Employment: 83,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
#34. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,820
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,680
- Employment: 14,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dayton, OH ($116,740)
--- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($112,040)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($107,220)

#33. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,820
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)

#32. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,080
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,330
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,320
- Employment: 121,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)
#31. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $71,340
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,360
- Employment: 25,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,600)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($92,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,660)
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#30. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $72,320
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 12,120
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#29. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $74,360
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 43,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
--- Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)
#28. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Annual mean salary: $75,300
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,240
- Employment: 12,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,910)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($100,060)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($99,120)

#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $75,600
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,610
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,280
- Employment: 404,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)

#26. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,960
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,960
- Employment: 278,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,800)
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#25. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $76,140
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)

#24. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $76,510
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,310
- Employment: 44,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)

#23. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $76,920
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,170
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,480
- Employment: 117,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

#22. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $77,590
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $80,500
- Employment: 34,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,090)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($97,860)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($96,520)

#21. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $79,770
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- Employment: 526,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)
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#20. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $79,810
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,670
National
- Annual mean salary: $92,320
- Employment: 243,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)

#19. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $79,870
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,170
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,420
- Employment: 392,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)

#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,230
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,820
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,060
- Employment: 665,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)

#17. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $83,100
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,510
- Employment: 29,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($99,740)

#16. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Annual mean salary: $84,900
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,340
- Employment: 2,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($134,990)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($104,060)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($84,900)
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#15. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $87,930
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,950
- Employment: 3,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($106,620)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($106,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,880)

#14. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $88,620
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,820
- Employment: 12,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#13. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $89,110
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,740
- Employment: 28,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($129,650)
--- Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)
#12. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $94,780
- #222 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $95,240
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,350
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,060
- Employment: 123,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,490)
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#10. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $96,160
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,970
- Employment: 15,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

#9. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $96,590
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,440
- Employment: 5,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($104,810)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)

#8. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $100,800
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $95,520
- Employment: 9,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)

#7. Gambling managers
- Annual mean salary: $103,210
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,190
- Employment: 3,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($106,830)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($104,140)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,210)

#6. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $105,980
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,080
- Employment: 42,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
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#5. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $107,540
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,750
- Employment: 54,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

#4. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $109,320
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,640
- Employment: 22,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($120,210)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,510)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($114,280)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $109,330
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,370
- Employment: 107,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)

#2. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $113,370
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,270
- Employment: 80,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($171,060)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,860)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $143,330
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,760
- Employment: 128,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
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