Highest-paying jobs in Detroit that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Detroit 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $62,470
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,840
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)
#49. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $62,550
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,220
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)

#48. Riggers
- Annual mean salary: $63,460
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,100
- Employment: 17,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($89,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,310)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($73,160)
#47. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,600
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 13,700
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)

#46. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,690
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,450
- Employment: 25,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Longview, WA ($74,500)
--- Redding, CA ($72,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,740)
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#45. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $63,820
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,360
- Employment: 12,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Austin-Round Rock, TX ($88,510)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($80,230)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,230)
#44. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $64,270
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,850
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)
#43. Flight attendants
- Annual mean salary: $64,380
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,850
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- Employment: 96,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($94,320)
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($72,130)
--- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL ($67,620)

#42. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,010
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,990
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)

#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $66,250
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,630
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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#40. Rail car repairers
- Annual mean salary: $66,460
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,400
- Employment: 22,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,690)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($76,530)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($74,740)

#39. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $66,530
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,080
- Employment: 8,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#38. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,940
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,630
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)

#37. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $66,960
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,980
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)

#36. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $67,340
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#35. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $67,520
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,680
- Employment: 14,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dayton, OH ($116,740)
--- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($112,040)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($107,220)

#34. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $68,250
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
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)

#33. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $68,380
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#32. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,580
- #138 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,490
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)

#31. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $68,840
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 13,780
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)
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#30. Model makers, wood
- Annual mean salary: $68,970
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,040
- Employment: 340
- Metros with highest average pay: data not available

#29. Model makers, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 3,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,140)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($76,210)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($74,210)

#28. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $70,260
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,510
- Employment: 29,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($99,740)

#27. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $70,500
- #83 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,750
- Employment: 54,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

#26. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $71,690
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)
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#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $72,980
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,770
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)

#24. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $73,580
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
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)

#23. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,440
- Employment: 5,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($104,810)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)

#22. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $74,510
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,030
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)
#21. Sound engineering technicians
- Annual mean salary: $74,660
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,360
- Employment: 10,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($96,070)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($84,930)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($84,620)
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#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $74,970
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,020
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)

#19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,010
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,350
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)

#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,040
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,120
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)

#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $76,850
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 22,330
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)

#16. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $77,560
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
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)
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#15. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $79,410
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,950
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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)

#13. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $82,340
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $83,240
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,060
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)

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $84,220
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,210
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)
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#10. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $85,020
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $86,810
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,820
- Employment: 12,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#8. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $86,830
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,970
- Employment: 15,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

#7. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $87,870
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
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)

#6. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $92,000
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $94,920
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,150
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)

#4. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $95,770
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $98,970
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,150
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $99,980
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,850
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)

#1. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $105,190
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $95,520
- Employment: 9,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)
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