4 PM production // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $48,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Bowling Green that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Bowling Green using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $48,290
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 70 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $48,480
- Median hourly wage: $23.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 220 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,110
- Median hourly wage: $23.61
- Total employment: 190 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $49,170
- Median hourly wage: $23.64
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $49,750
- Median hourly wage: $23.92
- Total employment: 390 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $49,970
- Median hourly wage: $24.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $50,460
- Median hourly wage: $24.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vitpho // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $51,200
- Median hourly wage: $24.61
- Total employment: 1,500 people (18.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $51,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.72
- Total employment: 450 people (5.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $51,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 470 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $53,300
- Median hourly wage: $25.63
- Total employment: 270 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $53,600
- Median hourly wage: $25.77
- Total employment: 200 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $55,640
- Median hourly wage: $26.75
- Total employment: 440 people (5.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $56,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $56,230
- Median hourly wage: $27.03
- Total employment: 230 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $56,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 310 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $56,740
- Median hourly wage: $27.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $57,380
- Median hourly wage: $27.59
- Total employment: 90 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $57,830
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 150 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $57,900
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 670 people (8.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $57,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 740 people (9.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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David Spates // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $58,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.95
- Total employment: 200 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $58,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 260 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $58,920
- Median hourly wage: $28.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $59,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 120 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $60,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 290 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $60,770
- Median hourly wage: $29.22
- Total employment: 300 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $61,260
- Median hourly wage: $29.45
- Total employment: 280 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 140 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $64,770
- Median hourly wage: $31.14
- Total employment: 210 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $65,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 160 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $65,220
- Median hourly wage: $31.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $66,130
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 320 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $68,860
- Median hourly wage: $33.11
- Total employment: 340 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $70,080
- Median hourly wage: $33.69
- Total employment: 720 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,800
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 590 people (7.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,200
- Median hourly wage: $34.71
- Total employment: 100 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,090
- Median hourly wage: $35.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,520
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 80 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,710
- Median hourly wage: $38.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $80,980
- Median hourly wage: $38.93
- Total employment: 60 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $82,940
- Median hourly wage: $39.87
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $88,230
- Median hourly wage: $42.42
- Total employment: 90 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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