
Highest-paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan 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 Jackson, MI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,690
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,790
- Employment: 218,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)

#49. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $42,720
- #287 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)
#48. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,730
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)

#47. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $43,560
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#46. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $44,110
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,560
- Employment: 14,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Albany, OR ($58,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($56,830)
--- Wichita, KS ($51,240)
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#45. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- Employment: 333,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
--- Monroe, MI ($66,560)
#44. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $45,250
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#43. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $46,200
- #199 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
#42. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $46,610
- #206 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,560
- Employment: 149,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)

#41. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $47,080
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,290
- Employment: 317,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($114,210)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($98,150)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($97,470)
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#40. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $47,510
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#39. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,200
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $48,220
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#37. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,360
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)

#36. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $48,550
- #355 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $49,210
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,320
- Employment: 34,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($67,730)
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($59,560)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($55,140)

#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- #239 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#33. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $49,550
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#32. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $50,150
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720
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)

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $50,410
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#30. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $50,910
- #248 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#29. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $51,120
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- Employment: 51,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)
#28. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $52,330
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#27. Roofers
- Annual mean salary: $53,120
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 129,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($81,450)
--- Anchorage, AK ($74,990)
--- Danbury, CT ($73,020)

#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,400
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#25. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,230
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#24. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $54,670
- #319 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $55,470
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#22. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $55,810
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#21. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $55,900
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
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#20. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $57,030
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#19. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $58,080
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#18. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,420
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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 office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,490
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#16. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $60,200
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)
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#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $60,470
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#14. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $62,740
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#13. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $64,010
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 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)

#12. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $64,190
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $64,800
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#10. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $65,560
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#9. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $65,700
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,850
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)

#7. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $70,930
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,390
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,510
- #284 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,520
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#3. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $88,120
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,570
- #283 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $93,360
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,970
- Employment: 28,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)
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