LightField Studios // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.98
- Total employment: 70 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Santa Fe that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Santa Fe using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,080
- Median hourly wage: $24.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $50,150
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 150 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $50,510
- Median hourly wage: $24.29
- Total employment: 120 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $50,710
- Median hourly wage: $24.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $50,800
- Median hourly wage: $24.42
- Total employment: 350 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $51,500
- Median hourly wage: $24.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $51,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 140 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 640 people (10.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $52,040
- Median hourly wage: $25.02
- Total employment: 90 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $53,430
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $53,590
- Median hourly wage: $25.76
- Total employment: 80 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $53,640
- Median hourly wage: $25.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $54,670
- Median hourly wage: $26.29
- Total employment: 190 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $55,480
- Median hourly wage: $26.67
- Total employment: 170 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 240 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 150 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $58,350
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 70 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Median annual wage: $58,580
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $60,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $60,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 140 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 210 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 70 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 220 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $63,320
- Median hourly wage: $30.44
- Total employment: 210 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $63,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.54
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $64,020
- Median hourly wage: $30.78
- Total employment: 150 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $64,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.23
- Total employment: 120 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $65,850
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: 710 people (11.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,290
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,690
- Median hourly wage: $32.55
- Total employment: 190 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $67,830
- Median hourly wage: $32.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $69,040
- Median hourly wage: $33.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,760
- Median hourly wage: $33.54
- Total employment: 160 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $72,090
- Median hourly wage: $34.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,090
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 630 people (10.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $75,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 70 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $75,520
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 350 people (5.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $75,530
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 350 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,130
- Median hourly wage: $37.08
- Total employment: 70 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $83,550
- Median hourly wage: $40.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $99,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.82
- Total employment: 70 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $102,590
- Median hourly wage: $49.32
- Total employment: 30 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $110,000
- Median hourly wage: $52.89
- Total employment: 100 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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