Highest-paying jobs in Minneapolis that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $68,780
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,300
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)
#49. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $69,730
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,850
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)
#48. Sound engineering technicians
- Annual mean salary: $69,940
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)
#47. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,020
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 14,630
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. Tapers
- Annual mean salary: $70,420
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,140
- Employment: 14,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($93,010)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($87,750)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($86,880)
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#45. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,620
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,620
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)

#44. Dredge operators
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,530
- Employment: 1,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($70,650)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($62,850)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($60,490)

#43. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,270
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,890
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)

#42. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,400
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#41. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $71,500
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890)
--- Fresno, CA ($86,230)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)
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#40. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $72,430
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,630
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)

#39. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,100
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,240
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)
#38. Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters
- Annual mean salary: $73,250
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,370
- Employment: 18,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($73,250)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,140)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($65,940)

#37. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,260
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
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)

#36. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $73,330
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,490
- Employment: 48,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
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#35. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $73,370
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)

#34. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $73,380
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,210
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)

#33. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,630
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,950
- Employment: 3,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($106,620)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($106,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,880)

#32. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $74,330
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,430
- Employment: 55,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)
#31. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Annual mean salary: $74,680
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- Employment: 26,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($76,030)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($75,260)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,090)
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#30. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,080
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#29. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $75,440
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,960
- Employment: 16,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($97,000)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($88,350)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,440)
#28. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $75,510
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,510
- Employment: 33,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,310)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,510)
--- Madison, WI ($70,810)

#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $78,870
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 19,190
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)

#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $79,270
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,570
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)
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#25. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $80,000
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 810
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)

#24. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $81,130
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 15,780
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)

#23. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $82,380
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#22. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $82,660
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,360
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)

#21. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,700
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
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#20. Hoist and winch operators
- Annual mean salary: $83,010
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,450
- Employment: 2,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($83,010)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($74,330)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($64,820)

#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $83,580
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,210
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)

#18. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $85,100
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#17. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $85,540
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,020
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)

#16. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $86,970
- #113 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,040
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)
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#15. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $87,660
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,050
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)

#14. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $88,360
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,260
- Employment: 28,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($109,380)
--- Syracuse, NY ($97,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,740)

#13. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $89,500
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#12. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $90,610
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 870
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. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $90,640
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#9. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $93,320
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $91,320
- Employment: 22,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)

#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $93,420
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,340
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)

#7. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $97,350
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#6. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $103,340
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $110,260
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,040
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. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $110,280
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $115,520
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,840
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. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $133,450
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
#1. Athletes and sports competitors
- Annual mean salary: $181,850
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $116,930
- Employment: 12,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($212,500)
--- Cleveland-Elyria, OH ($210,210)
--- Columbus, OH ($201,290)
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