
Highest-paying jobs in Muskegon that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Muskegon 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 Muskegon, MI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Pourers and casters, metal
- Annual mean salary: $44,540
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,910
- Employment: 6,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($58,040)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($55,770)
--- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL ($51,330)
#49. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $44,690
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,900
- Employment: 145,410
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, MI ($60,190)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($58,480)

#48. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Annual mean salary: $44,730
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,390
- Employment: 28,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,260)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($65,320)
--- Joplin, MO ($65,210)
#47. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,020
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,870
- Employment: 150,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,520)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($62,040)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($60,730)
#46. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $45,180
- #258 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)
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#45. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $45,210
- #401 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
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)

#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $45,340
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- Employment: 551,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($66,260)
--- Bismarck, ND ($64,940)
#43. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $46,080
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,950
- Employment: 29,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($70,440)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,640)
--- Wichita, KS ($56,010)

#42. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,230
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#41. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $46,420
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
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#40. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,430
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 940
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)

#39. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $46,450
- #360 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#38. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $46,960
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,450
- Employment: 106,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($71,340)

#37. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $47,330
- #422 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#36. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $47,500
- #174 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)
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#35. Foundry mold and coremakers
- Annual mean salary: $48,030
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,980
- Employment: 13,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($50,560)
--- Muskegon, MI ($48,030)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($47,150)
#34. Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists
- Annual mean salary: $49,500
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,990
- Employment: 285,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI ($53,630)
--- Lansing-East Lansing, MI ($53,470)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($52,630)
#33. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $49,800
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)

#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $50,330
- #211 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)

#31. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,370
- #375 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#30. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $50,670
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#29. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,610
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
#28. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $51,760
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $51,990
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#26. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $52,140
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#25. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $52,170
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,570
- Employment: 151,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
--- New Haven, CT ($63,790)

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,430
- #415 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#23. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,850
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#22. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,260
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
#21. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $53,320
- #139 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)
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#20. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $53,410
- #72 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)

#19. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,140
- #156 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $55,080
- #419 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $56,230
- #282 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#16. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $56,350
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,420
- Employment: 392,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)
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#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,360
- #276 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#14. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,990
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#13. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,570
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#12. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $58,990
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#11. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $59,010
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,300
- #393 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
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)

#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $64,190
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#8. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $65,250
- #307 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,330
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,170
- #366 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,940
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#4. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $74,140
- #68 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)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $74,540
- #416 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $83,020
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $85,370
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)