
Highest-paying jobs in Kankakee that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Kankakee 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 Kankakee, IL that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Bus drivers, school
- Annual mean salary: $40,670
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 361,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Elkhart-Goshen, IN ($55,400)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($55,150)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($53,770)

#49. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $41,550
- #188 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,630
- Employment: 1,010,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
--- Waterbury, CT ($50,100)
#48. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $41,590
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,240
- Employment: 157,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
#47. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $42,150
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,900
- Employment: 145,410
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, MI ($60,190)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($58,480)

#46. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $42,450
- #412 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 397,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,920)
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#45. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,490
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,750
- Employment: 429,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)
#44. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,520
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,140
- Employment: 1,509,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,670)
--- Napa, CA ($54,940)

#43. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $43,480
- #297 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,890
- Employment: 1,143,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)
#42. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,070
- #149 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,870
- Employment: 150,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,520)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($62,040)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($60,730)
#41. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 629,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,810)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($62,690)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,350)
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#40. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $44,760
- #424 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- Employment: 356,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)

#39. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $45,480
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $45,610
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- Employment: 551,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($66,260)
--- Bismarck, ND ($64,940)

#37. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,710
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#36. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $47,100
- #415 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#35. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $48,270
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#34. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $48,700
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,460
- Employment: 398,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)

#33. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $48,920
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,920
- Employment: 1,416,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

#32. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $49,180
- #466 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#31. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $50,050
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,650
- Employment: 194,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
--- Decatur, IL ($60,740)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($58,620)
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#30. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $51,150
- #132 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,400
- #489 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,370
- Employment: 335,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)

#28. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,680
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,210
- Employment: 79,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)

#27. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $51,880
- #435 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#26. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,270
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- Employment: 367,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($67,140)
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#25. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $53,530
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,340
- Employment: 1,903,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($62,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,290)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,540)

#24. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $53,750
- #335 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#23. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $53,820
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#22. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $54,050
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)

#21. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,560
- #353 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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#20. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,360
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,340
- Employment: 141,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,550)
#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $56,680
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $57,320
- #375 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#17. Construction laborers
- Annual mean salary: $58,000
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,130
- Employment: 968,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($65,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($64,590)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($63,820)

#16. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $58,460
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,210
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)
#14. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Annual mean salary: $60,490
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,140
- Employment: 214,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($62,490)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,380)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($62,380)

#13. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $63,280
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $64,990
- #315 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,310
- #249 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,240
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,130
- #276 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#8. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $70,360
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,930
- #313 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $77,690
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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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#5. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $78,380
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#4. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,500
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#3. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $81,700
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#2. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $84,170
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,750
- #280 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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