Highest-paying jobs in Santa Maria that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $60,110
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- Employment: 129,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($79,430)

#49. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $60,150
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)

#48. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $60,260
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,650
- Employment: 654,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)

#47. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#46. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $61,250
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,020
- Employment: 261,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)
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#45. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Annual mean salary: $61,710
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- Employment: 26,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($76,030)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($75,260)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,090)
#44. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $62,000
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 641,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($76,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)

#43. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $62,400
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,140)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($84,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)
#42. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)
#41. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Annual mean salary: $63,830
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- Employment: 97,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,560)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($81,460)
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#40. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Annual mean salary: $64,000
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,660
- Employment: 32,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($79,050)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($73,100)
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($65,030)

#39. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $64,070
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 668,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)

#38. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $64,690
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- Employment: 373,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)

#37. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $65,540
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

#36. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $66,340
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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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#35. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,500
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)

#33 (tie). Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $66,790
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#33 (tie). First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,790
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,740
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,380
- Employment: 1,443,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)
#32. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $67,530
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#31. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $67,700
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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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#30. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $67,810
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,110
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#28. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $70,450
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#27. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,190
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#26. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $71,210
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#25. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $71,740
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#24. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $71,830
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,026,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

#23. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $71,990
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- Employment: 96,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

#22. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $72,630
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,880
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)
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#20. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $74,150
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,340
- Employment: 422,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
#19. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $74,740
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,030
- Employment: 97,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)

#18. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,830
- #316 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)

#17. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $75,520
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#16. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $75,640
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 56,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)
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#15. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $76,060
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $76,410
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,110
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,420
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)

#12. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $79,020
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,280
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
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)
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#10. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $83,880
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#9. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $90,920
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#8. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $97,470
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)
#7. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $100,770
- #6 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)

#6. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $105,160
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $108,530
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $117,700
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $122,260
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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: $131,420
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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: $164,600
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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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