Highest-paying jobs in Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles 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.

You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Lake Charles

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $49,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.98
- Total employment: 340 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $49,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.00
- Total employment: 130 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall

- Median annual wage: $50,040
- Median hourly wage: $24.06
- Total employment: Not available

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $50,160
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 1,100 people (10.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $50,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 110 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Lake Charles

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $51,120
- Median hourly wage: $24.58
- Total employment: 80 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $51,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 1,200 people (11.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $51,480
- Median hourly wage: $24.75
- Total employment: 1,460 people (14.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $51,570
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 880 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Said M // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $52,530
- Median hourly wage: $25.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 270 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $54,720
- Median hourly wage: $26.31
- Total employment: 310 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $55,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $55,670
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 2,290 people (22.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Lake Charles

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 330 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $58,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 990 people (9.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $59,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.52
- Total employment: 100 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $59,730
- Median hourly wage: $28.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $60,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Cargo and freight agents

- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Lake Charles

welcomia // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 460 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 630 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,760
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 300 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $62,920
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders

- Median annual wage: $63,580
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Lake Charles by diners

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $63,760
- Median hourly wage: $30.66
- Total employment: 900 people (9.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $64,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 180 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $65,320
- Median hourly wage: $31.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $66,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 940 people (9.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 170 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Lake Charles 7-day weather forecast

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $68,470
- Median hourly wage: $32.92
- Total employment: 60 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $69,510
- Median hourly wage: $33.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 760 people (7.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 220 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $71,740
- Median hourly wage: $34.49
- Total employment: 2,050 people (20.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 120 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $76,600
- Median hourly wage: $36.83
- Total employment: 320 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $77,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 760 people (7.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $80,740
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 620 people (6.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $85,280
- Median hourly wage: $41.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-rated chicken wings in Lake Charles by diners

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $85,920
- Median hourly wage: $41.31
- Total employment: 450 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $89,460
- Median hourly wage: $43.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $105,030
- Median hourly wage: $50.49
- Total employment: 530 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $113,350
- Median hourly wage: $54.50
- Total employment: 160 people (1.57 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.