Highest-paying jobs in Eugene that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Eugene 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 Eugene, OR that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,300
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- Employment: 116,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

#49. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Annual mean salary: $53,550
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,390
- Employment: 28,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,260)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($65,320)
--- Joplin, MO ($65,210)

#48. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $53,880
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 870
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 668,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)

#47. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $54,220
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)
#46. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Annual mean salary: $55,430
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,660
- Employment: 6,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($77,060)
--- Fort Wayne, IN ($58,460)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($57,260)
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#45. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,660
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)

#44. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $56,190
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#43. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,200
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#42. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $56,320
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,430
- Employment: 24,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($74,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,530)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($67,510)
#41. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $56,820
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)
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#40. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $57,590
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 641,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($76,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)
#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $57,920
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)
#38. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $59,140
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#36 (tie). Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $59,270
- #159 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#36 (tie). Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,270
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#35. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,500
- #437 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)
#34. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $60,180
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,260
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,310
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)
#32. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $60,620
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#31. Tree trimmers and pruners
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,450
- Employment: 41,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($66,120)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,000)
--- Anchorage, AK ($64,280)
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#30. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $60,680
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#29. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $62,850
- #228 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)

#28. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)
#27. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $63,050
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#26. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,290
- Employment: 317,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($114,210)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($98,150)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($97,470)
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#25. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $63,470
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $64,130
- #343 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,330
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)

#23. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $64,150
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#22. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $64,980
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#21. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $65,360
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,510
- Employment: 33,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,310)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,510)
--- Madison, WI ($70,810)
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#20. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $65,610
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,030
- Employment: 97,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)

#19. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $69,150
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#18. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $69,550
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
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)

#17. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,510
- #390 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#16. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $70,940
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,170
- Employment: 77,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($70,940)
--- Salem, OR ($68,640)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)
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#15. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $71,870
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#14. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $71,920
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#13. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $72,040
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#12. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $72,300
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#11. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $72,470
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680
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)
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#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $72,780
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#9. Massage therapists
- Annual mean salary: $72,990
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,260
- Employment: 81,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($96,260)
--- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI ($74,980)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($74,850)

#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,060
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#7. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $73,500
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,830
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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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#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $81,140
- #382 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $102,470
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $106,120
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#2. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $109,150
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $115,870
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)