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.
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1 / 50- Median annual wage: $49,460
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
2 / 50- Median annual wage: $49,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 200 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 280 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 / 50- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Median annual wage: $50,660
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 420 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 320 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,930
- Median hourly wage: $24.97
- Total employment: Not available
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10 / 50- 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)
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11 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,270
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 770 people (4.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50- 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)
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13 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,620
- Median hourly wage: $25.30
- Total employment: 690 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,660
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 330 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Median annual wage: $53,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.85
- Total employment: 120 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 440 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50- Median annual wage: $55,970
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 120 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50- Median annual wage: $57,020
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 100 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50- Median annual wage: $57,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 140 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50- Median annual wage: $57,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
21 / 50- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 120 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,180
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 130 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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23 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.19
- Total employment: 110 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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24 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,940
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50- 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)
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27 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.55
- Total employment: 450 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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28 / 50- 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)
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29 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 780 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50- 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)
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31 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 860 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 740 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Median annual wage: $60,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 350 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50- Median annual wage: $60,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50- Median annual wage: $61,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 230 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 600 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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38 / 50- Median annual wage: $62,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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39 / 50- 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)
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40 / 50- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.91
- Total employment: 110 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50- Median annual wage: $65,450
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: Not available
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42 / 50- Median annual wage: $65,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 600 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Median annual wage: $67,780
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 660 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Median annual wage: $68,120
- Median hourly wage: $32.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,240
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 190 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 100 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Median annual wage: $84,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.73
- Total employment: 250 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Median annual wage: $96,900
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50- 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.
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