
Highest-paying jobs in Raleigh that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Raleigh 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 Raleigh, NC that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $53,120
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,150
- Employment: 63,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,920)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($72,510)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($71,910)

#49. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,570
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,280
- Employment: 145,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#48. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $53,640
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 690
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)
#47. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $54,410
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,250
- Employment: 35,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)

#46. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,320
- Employment: 121,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)
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#45. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $55,020
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,320
- Employment: 34,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($67,730)
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($59,560)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($55,140)
#44. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $55,100
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,060
- Employment: 48,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($92,800)
--- Napa, CA ($68,470)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($63,240)

#43. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,300
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,960
- Employment: 10,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($75,130)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($73,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,300)

#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $55,390
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,390
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,370
- Employment: 335,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)

#41. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,320
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,710
- Employment: 39,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,310)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,330)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,970)
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#40. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,330
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,450
- Employment: 25,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Longview, WA ($74,500)
--- Redding, CA ($72,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,740)

#39. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $56,490
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,450
- Employment: 106,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($71,340)

#38. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $57,160
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,210
- Employment: 79,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)

#37. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $58,500
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- Employment: 129,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($79,430)

#36. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,680
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- Employment: 373,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
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#35. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $59,860
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,650
- Employment: 654,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)
#34. Cargo and freight agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,400
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,420
- Employment: 85,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($80,300)
--- Yakima, WA ($68,030)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($64,030)

#33. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $60,520
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890)
--- Fresno, CA ($86,230)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)

#32. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $60,800
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 940
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,140)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($84,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)
#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,540
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,380
- Employment: 1,443,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)
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#30. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $61,790
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $62,230
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,520
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- Employment: 466,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

#28. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $62,880
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#27. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 900
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

#26. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $64,350
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,480
- Employment: 117,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)
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#25. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,190
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)
#24. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $66,280
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,680
- Employment: 14,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dayton, OH ($116,740)
--- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($112,040)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($107,220)

#23. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,390
- #233 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)

#22. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,660
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,490
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)

#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,390
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,730
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,330
- Employment: 629,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($90,410)
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#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,060
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#19. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $69,720
- #101 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,900
- #279 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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)

#17. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $70,010
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#16. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $70,130
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,970
- Employment: 28,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)
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#15. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $70,490
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,760
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,370
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)

#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $72,330
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#12. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $72,400
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)

#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $72,540
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,620
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)
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#10. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $73,710
- #212 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)

#9. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $79,530
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,026,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

#8. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $82,470
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,620
- Employment: 25,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)

#7. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $84,010
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,490
- Employment: 48,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $90,160
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
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)
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#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $99,200
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#4. Nuclear power reactor operators
- Annual mean salary: $108,100
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $111,220
- Employment: 4,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($111,440)
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($110,750)
--- Raleigh, NC ($108,100)

#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $108,110
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,850
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $110,030
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $121,720
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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