
Highest-paying jobs in Fort Collins that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins, CO that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,930
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- Employment: 116,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

#49. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $56,110
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#48. Hazardous materials removal workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,280
- Employment: 44,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($76,120)
--- Amarillo, TX ($73,270)
--- Knoxville, TN ($70,000)

#47. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $56,320
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#46. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $56,340
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
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#45. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $57,270
- #244 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 830
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)

#44. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $57,350
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 950
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)

#43. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,560
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#42. Photographers
- Annual mean salary: $57,740
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,210
- Employment: 38,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,810)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($71,160)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($70,440)
#41. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $57,770
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,660
- Employment: 137,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
--- Ames, IA ($68,340)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)
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#39 (tie). Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $58,240
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#39 (tie). First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,240
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,450
- Employment: 25,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Longview, WA ($74,500)
--- Redding, CA ($72,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,740)

#38. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $58,600
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#37. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,830
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#36. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $59,030
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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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#35. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#34. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $60,020
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#33. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $60,210
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)

#32. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $60,460
- #131 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#31. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,910
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#30. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $61,100
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#29. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $61,220
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#28. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $61,300
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,170
- Employment: 77,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($70,940)
--- Salem, OR ($68,640)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)
#27. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $61,760
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#26. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $62,090
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,060
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,230
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)
#24. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $63,730
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,430
- Employment: 24,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($74,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,530)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($67,510)

#23. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $64,880
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#22. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,630
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,480
- Employment: 175,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#21. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $67,680
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#20. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $67,720
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,570
- Employment: 57,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($70,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,980)

#19. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $68,950
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,490
- Employment: 48,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)

#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,310
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 590
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)

#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $74,240
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,450
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)

#16. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,440
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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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#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $75,470
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,510
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,370
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,580
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
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. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $80,940
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#11. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $81,340
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)
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#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $87,130
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#9. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $89,820
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#8. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $91,940
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $92,460
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $93,420
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $95,780
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $99,730
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#3. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $109,970
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $123,910
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $126,130
- #29 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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