Highest-paying jobs in Tulsa that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Tulsa 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 Tulsa, OK that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $54,170
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#49. Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $54,190
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,580
- Employment: 12,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tulsa, OK ($54,190)
--- Dayton, OH ($46,860)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($46,480)

#48. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $54,250
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#47. Wellhead pumpers
- Annual mean salary: $54,260
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,170
- Employment: 16,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($77,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($75,610)
--- Midland, TX ($74,690)

#46. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $54,290
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,730
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,340
- Employment: 1,903,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($62,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,290)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,540)
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#45. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,090
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)
#44. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $55,020
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- Employment: 51,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)

#43. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Annual mean salary: $55,030
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,660
- Employment: 32,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($79,050)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($73,100)
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($65,030)
#42. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $55,300
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,850
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)

#41. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $55,860
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 880
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)
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#40. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $56,010
- #286 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
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)

#39. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $56,070
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
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)

#38. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $56,530
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#37. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,720
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#36. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $56,990
- #261 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)
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#35. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $57,010
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $57,080
- #380 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,840
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)
#33. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
- Annual mean salary: $58,060
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,630
- Employment: 100,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tulsa, OK ($58,060)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($55,720)
--- Columbus, OH ($53,800)

#32. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $58,350
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,200
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)

#31. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $58,620
- #468 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,110
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)
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#30. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,200
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,290
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)
#29. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $59,250
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 56,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)

#28. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $59,390
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#27. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,720
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,270
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)
#26. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $61,300
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $61,560
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#24. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $61,800
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)

#23. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $62,680
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)
#22. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Annual mean salary: $63,000
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,840
- Employment: 11,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($84,210)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($75,750)
--- Lafayette, LA ($75,710)

#21. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,030
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $64,500
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
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. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- #46 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)

#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,350
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,250
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)

#17. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $69,610
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,560
- Employment: 21,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

#16. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,110
- #215 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,970
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)
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#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,350
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,900
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)

#14. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $73,350
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)

#13. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $74,260
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#12. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $75,300
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,970
- Employment: 15,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

#11. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,730
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
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)
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#10. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $79,040
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680
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)

#9. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $79,290
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 990
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)
#8. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $80,070
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,620
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#6. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $83,590
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $80,500
- Employment: 34,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,090)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($97,860)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($96,520)
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#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $84,270
- #241 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)

#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $88,760
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#3. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $93,460
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $100,870
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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: $103,030
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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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