
Highest-paying jobs in Fort Wayne that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Fort Wayne 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 Wayne, IN that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $49,940
- #303 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720
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)
#48 (tie). Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $50,230
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,130
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)
#48 (tie). Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Annual mean salary: $50,230
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,310
- Employment: 145,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,940)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,310)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($67,370)
#47. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $50,870
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,950
- Employment: 52,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
--- Salem, OR ($78,000)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($74,990)

#46. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $50,980
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#45. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,380
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
#44. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Annual mean salary: $51,620
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#43. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,880
- #284 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#42. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,330
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,590
- Employment: 44,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,510)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($78,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,380)

#41. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $53,030
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
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#40. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,040
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)

#39. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,360
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#38. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $53,600
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
#37. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,150
- Employment: 63,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,920)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($72,510)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($71,910)

#36. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,860
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)
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#35. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $54,130
- #131 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $55,000
- #323 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)

#33. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $55,010
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $55,240
- #303 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#30 (tie). Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $55,680
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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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#30 (tie). Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $55,680
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
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)
#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $55,960
- #290 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#28. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $56,290
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680
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)

#27. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $57,310
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#26. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Annual mean salary: $58,460
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,660
- Employment: 6,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($77,060)
--- Fort Wayne, IN ($58,460)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($57,260)
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#25. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $58,510
- #256 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)
#24. Massage therapists
- Annual mean salary: $58,820
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,260
- Employment: 81,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($96,260)
--- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI ($74,980)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($74,850)

#23. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $58,850
- #83 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)

#22. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $59,840
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,700
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,680
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)
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#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $62,400
- #313 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)

#19. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $62,510
- #166 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,170
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)

#18. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,060
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710
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)

#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,090
- #332 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,570
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)

#16. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $64,710
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 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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#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $65,100
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,280
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: $66,390
- #315 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 890
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. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $67,270
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#12. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $69,250
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,980
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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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#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $70,320
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,200
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)

#9. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $70,700
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,560
- Employment: 21,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

#8. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $71,890
- #85 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)

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,700
- #182 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)

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $73,130
- #215 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)
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#5. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $76,460
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,860
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $78,980
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $84,950
- #236 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $95,720
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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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