Highest-paying jobs in Honolulu that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Honolulu 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 Honolulu, HI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $70,800
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)

#49. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $71,070
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- Employment: 333,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
--- Monroe, MI ($66,560)

#48. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $72,520
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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)

#47. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $73,050
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,330
- Employment: 33,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($126,420)
--- Anchorage, AK ($118,620)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($110,750)
#46. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $73,070
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
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#45. Audio and video technicians
- Annual mean salary: $73,160
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,310
- Employment: 50,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($80,410)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,160)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($68,430)

#44. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $73,500
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)

#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $73,620
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,800
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)

#42. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $74,030
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,260
- Employment: 28,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($109,380)
--- Syracuse, NY ($97,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,740)

#41. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $74,280
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)
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#39 (tie). Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $74,360
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 870
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)

#39 (tie). Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $74,360
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,300
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)

#38. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $74,870
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 810
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. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Annual mean salary: $75,260
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#36. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Annual mean salary: $75,560
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,880
- Employment: 18,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,100)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($78,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($77,540)
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#35. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $75,660
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 186,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Bedford, MA ($90,980)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($82,820)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($79,650)

#34. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $76,720
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,070
- Employment: 12,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)

#33. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $76,880
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,620
- Employment: 25,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)

#32. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,290
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 790
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)
#31. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $77,350
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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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#30. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $78,890
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#29. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $79,200
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#28. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $79,800
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#27. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $80,180
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#26. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $80,510
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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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#25. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $80,530
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,360
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)
#24. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Annual mean salary: $80,970
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
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)

#23. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $81,730
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,050
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)

#22. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,330
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#20 (tie). Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $82,520
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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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#20 (tie). Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $82,520
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,180
- Employment: 11,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($89,810)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,970)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($86,050)

#19. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $82,710
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,170
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)

#18. Tile and stone setters
- Annual mean salary: $83,400
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- Employment: 41,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($83,400)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,330)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($76,980)

#17. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $84,290
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#16. Tapers
- Annual mean salary: $86,880
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,140
- Employment: 14,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($93,010)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($87,750)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($86,880)
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#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $87,950
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,110
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)

#14. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $89,620
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#13. Ship engineers
- Annual mean salary: $90,010
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $96,910
- Employment: 7,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lafayette, LA ($108,770)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($100,970)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($99,670)

#12. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $90,100
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $91,190
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,170
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. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $103,530
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $104,170
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $108,240
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)

#7. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $111,410
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $113,480
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $91,320
- Employment: 22,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)
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#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $113,840
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $115,050
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $120,740
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
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)

#2. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $123,880
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $143,720
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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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