Highest-paying jobs in Cape Girardeau that don't require a college degree

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June 13, 2022
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Highest-paying jobs in Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL that don't require a college degree.

#50. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $38,580
- #403 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370

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)

#49. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $38,650
- #492 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $39,640
- #452 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,100
- #418 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#46. Bus drivers, school

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,300
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 361,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Elkhart-Goshen, IN ($55,400)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($55,150)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($53,770)

#45. Printing press operators

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,410
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $41,120
- Employment: 145,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($56,850)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($51,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($50,370)

#44. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,650
- #433 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

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)

#43. Chefs and head cooks

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- #388 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

#42. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,850
- #297 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,100
- Employment: 153,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,770)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,160)

#41. Pest control workers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $40,990
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $40,640
- Employment: 85,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,450)
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($57,980)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($54,130)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $41,090
- #350 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#39. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $41,900
- #479 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310

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)

#38. Advertising sales agents

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $42,920
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- Employment: 96,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

#37. Highway maintenance workers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $44,190
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available

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)

#36. Computer user support specialists

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $44,450
- #473 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#35. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $45,320
- #321 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#34. Machinists

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $45,450
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#33. Surgical technologists

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $45,850
- #269 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. Sheet metal workers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $46,590
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#31. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $46,850
- #379 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#30. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $47,260
- #424 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#29. Construction laborers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $47,420
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,130
- Employment: 968,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($65,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($64,590)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($63,820)

#28. Automotive body and related repairers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $48,070
- #212 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. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $48,190
- #501 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440

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)

#26. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $48,260
- #316 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)

#25. Postal service clerks

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- #441 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)

#24. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $49,720
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,250
- Employment: 35,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)

#23. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $50,440
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#22. Painters, construction and maintenance

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $51,530
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,140
- Employment: 214,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($62,490)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,380)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($62,380)

#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $52,180
- #416 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#20. Electricians

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- #344 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $53,370
- #274 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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. Postal service mail carriers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $54,390
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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)

#17. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $54,490
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- Employment: 112,130
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,060)

#16. Carpenters

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $54,540
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $55,130
- #313 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $55,200
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $58,170
- #516 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $58,250
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#11. Insurance sales agents

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $58,800
- #279 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $60,590
- #412 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $60,800
- #439 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

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)

#8. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $62,600
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770

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)

#7. Brickmasons and blockmasons

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $63,480
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

#6. Food service managers

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $65,610
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $67,870
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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. Detectives and criminal investigators

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $69,850
- #241 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $72,950
- #353 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $74,100
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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

Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #206 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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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