
Highest-paying jobs in New York City that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in New York City 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Fabric and apparel patternmakers
- Annual mean salary: $84,960
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,070
- Employment: 3,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($84,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,260)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($74,480)

#49. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $85,070
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 41,270
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)

#48. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $85,860
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 28,920
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)

#47. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,170
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,420
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)
#46. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $86,310
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 970
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)
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#44 (tie). Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $86,650
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
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)

#44 (tie). Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $86,650
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,120
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,480
- Employment: 175,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#43. Rail car repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,690
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,400
- Employment: 22,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,690)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($76,530)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($74,740)

#42. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $86,730
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,510
- Employment: 29,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($99,740)

#41. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $86,970
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,180
- Employment: 11,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($89,810)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,970)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($86,050)
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#40. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $87,850
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 14,340
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)

#39. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $88,030
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,070
- Employment: 12,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)

#38. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $88,750
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,670
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)

#37. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $90,120
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,560
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)

#36. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,020
- Employment: 21,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lima, OH ($92,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,210)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,170)
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#35. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $91,430
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
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)

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $91,860
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,990
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)
#33. Tapers
- Annual mean salary: $93,010
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#32. Choreographers
- Annual mean salary: $94,910
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,630
- Employment: 3,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,760)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($63,250)

#31. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $95,020
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,200
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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#30. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $95,600
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 18,400
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)
#29. Sound engineering technicians
- Annual mean salary: $96,070
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,180
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)
#28. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Annual mean salary: $96,370
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 930
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,240
- Employment: 12,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,910)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($100,060)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($99,120)

#27. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $97,640
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 21,400
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)

#26. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $97,840
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 13,620
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)
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#25. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $98,010
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,440
- Employment: 5,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($104,810)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)

#24. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $98,730
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,420
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)

#23. Terrazzo workers and finishers
- Annual mean salary: $99,300
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,380
- Employment: 2,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($64,410)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($57,030)

#22. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $99,520
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,080
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)

#20 (tie). Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $99,600
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)
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#20 (tie). Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $99,600
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)

#19. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $100,370
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,790
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,330
- Employment: 33,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($126,420)
--- Anchorage, AK ($118,620)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($110,750)

#18. Ship engineers
- Annual mean salary: $100,970
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
National
- Annual mean salary: $96,910
- Employment: 7,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lafayette, LA ($108,770)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($100,970)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($99,670)

#17. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $102,650
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,670
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)

#16. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $103,610
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,220
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)
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#15. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
- Annual mean salary: $104,560
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,050
- Employment: 16,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($104,560)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($68,920)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($60,810)

#14. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $106,620
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#13. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $109,380
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 880
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)

#12. Commercial divers
- Annual mean salary: $110,130
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 2,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($155,470)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($110,130)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($92,100)

#11. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $112,040
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $114,400
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,650
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)

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $114,760
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,340
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $121,250
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 23,220
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. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
- Annual mean salary: $127,660
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $124,380
- Employment: 1,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($137,140)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($127,660)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($102,040)

#6. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $129,950
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,870
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)
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#5. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $131,160
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 43,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
--- Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)
#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $133,260
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,020
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)

#3. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $134,700
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
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)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $137,060
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,510
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. Athletes and sports competitors
- Annual mean salary: $177,830
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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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