Highest-paying jobs in Cincinnati that don't require a college degree

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June 13, 2022
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Highest-paying jobs in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN that don't require a college degree.

#50. Insulation workers, mechanical

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $58,460
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#49. Flight attendants

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- Employment: 96,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($94,320)
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($72,130)
--- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL ($67,620)

#48. Lodging managers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

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)

#47. Industrial machinery mechanics

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $59,460
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,930

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $59,540
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450

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)

#45. Maintenance workers, machinery

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $59,550
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,570
- Employment: 57,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($70,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,980)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $60,290
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660

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)

#43. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $61,640
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#42. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $61,840
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,130

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $62,270
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,440

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)

#40. Structural iron and steel workers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $62,380
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 830

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)

#39. Brickmasons and blockmasons

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $62,620
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,430
- Employment: 55,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)

#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $62,860
- #113 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,100

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)

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $62,970
- #143 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,950

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- Employment: 417,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

#36. Construction and building inspectors

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $63,440
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650

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)

#35. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $63,550
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,360
- Employment: 25,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,600)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($92,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,660)

#34. Food service managers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $63,610
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,620

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)

#33. Crane and tower operators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $64,420
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

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)

#32. Power distributors and dispatchers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $64,630
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#31. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $65,240
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $65,470
- #272 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,460

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)

#29. Millwrights

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $66,070
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,260
- Employment: 39,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

#28. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $66,570
- #131 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,030

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $66,960
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,480

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)

#26. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $67,170
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,240

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)

#25. Model makers, metal and plastic

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $67,180
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 3,690
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,140)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($76,210)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($74,210)

#24. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $67,610
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $67,850
- #159 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,870

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)

#22. Fire inspectors and investigators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $68,250
- #42 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)

#21. Insurance sales agents

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $69,430
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,400

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $70,740
- #203 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,150

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $71,820
- #201 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,020

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $72,350
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650

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)

#17. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $74,170
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $75,150
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 12,980

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)

#15. Chemical plant and system operators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $75,930
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#14. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $77,480
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,000

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)

#13. Boilermakers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $78,630
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

#12. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $79,660
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,080
- Employment: 8,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#11. Power plant operators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $81,960
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $85,120
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350

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. Postmasters and mail superintendents

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $85,730
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $87,340
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770

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)

#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $91,200
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $92,490
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

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)

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

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $93,600
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,930

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)

#4. Transportation inspectors

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $94,000
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $104,010
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340

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)

#2. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $109,680
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

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)

#1. Athletes and sports competitors

Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Annual mean salary: $212,500
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

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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