Highest-paying jobs in Watertown 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 Watertown 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.

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $48,490
- Median hourly wage: $23.31
- Total employment: 130 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $48,890
- Median hourly wage: $23.51
- Total employment: 310 people (7.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

XiXinXing // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Medical records specialists

- Median annual wage: $48,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 70 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $49,220
- Median hourly wage: $23.67
- Total employment: 70 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $49,720
- Median hourly wage: $23.91
- Total employment: 240 people (6.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $49,790
- Median hourly wage: $23.94
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Procurement clerks

- Median annual wage: $51,440
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $51,450
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 110 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $51,780
- Median hourly wage: $24.89
- Total employment: 60 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Motor vehicle operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $52,520
- Median hourly wage: $25.25
- Total employment: 70 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $53,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.62
- Total employment: 140 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $53,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 60 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $53,450
- Median hourly wage: $25.70
- Total employment: 420 people (10.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $55,440
- Median hourly wage: $26.65
- Total employment: 50 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $55,660
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 340 people (8.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $55,910
- Median hourly wage: $26.88
- Total employment: 130 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $57,420
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 100 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $57,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 260 people (6.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $57,690
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $59,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,120
- Median hourly wage: $28.91
- Total employment: 130 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $60,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 50 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $60,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.27
- Total employment: 60 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 260 people (6.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $61,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 140 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 230 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 180 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 60 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 100 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Joey Chung // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 140 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 50 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $64,390
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

34 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,640
- Median hourly wage: $31.56
- Total employment: 190 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $67,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 210 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,480
- Median hourly wage: $32.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $68,590
- Median hourly wage: $32.98
- Total employment: 60 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $71,420
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 60 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $71,600
- Median hourly wage: $34.42
- Total employment: 120 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.83
- Total employment: 210 people (5.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,700
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 100 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.59
- Total employment: 50 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $76,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 100 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 50 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $84,150
- Median hourly wage: $40.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $84,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 250 people (6.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $86,390
- Median hourly wage: $41.53
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $100,000
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 40 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $104,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $104,530
- Median hourly wage: $50.25
- Total employment: 70 people (1.77 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.