Highest-paying jobs in Hickory that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Hickory 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 Hickory 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.
#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $49,460
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#49. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 200 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#48. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 280 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#47. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#46. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $50,660
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#45. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#44. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 420 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $51,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 320 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#42. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $51,930
- Median hourly wage: $24.97
- Total employment: Not available
#41. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $52,150
- Median hourly wage: $25.07
- Total employment: 1,400 people (9.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#40. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $52,270
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 770 people (4.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#39. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $52,280
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 3,420 people (22.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#38. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $52,620
- Median hourly wage: $25.30
- Total employment: 690 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#37. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,660
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 330 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#36. Fabric and apparel patternmakers
- Median annual wage: $53,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.85
- Total employment: 120 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#35. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 440 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#34. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $55,970
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 120 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#33. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $57,020
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 100 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#32. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $57,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 140 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#31. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $57,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#30. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 120 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $58,180
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 130 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#28. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $58,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.19
- Total employment: 110 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#27. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $58,940
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#26. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 1,120 people (7.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#24. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $59,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.55
- Total employment: 450 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#23. Upholsterers
- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 2,140 people (13.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#22. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 780 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 1,790 people (11.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#20. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 860 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#19. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 740 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#18. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 350 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#16. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $60,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#15. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 230 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#14. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 600 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 1,790 people (11.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#11. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.91
- Total employment: 110 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#10. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $65,450
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: Not available
#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $65,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 600 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,780
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 660 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#7. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $68,120
- Median hourly wage: $32.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $75,240
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 190 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 100 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $84,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.73
- Total employment: 250 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#2. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $96,900
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,240
- Median hourly wage: $46.75
- Total employment: 250 people (1.59 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.
