
Highest-paying jobs in Grants Pass that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Grants Pass 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 Grants Pass, OR that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Annual mean salary: $37,390
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,280
- Employment: 45,350
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($48,810)
--- Lewiston, ID-WA ($46,520)
--- Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($45,140)

#49. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Annual mean salary: $37,760
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,150
- Employment: 1,040,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($52,950)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,140)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($50,430)
#48. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $38,430
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,990
- Employment: 2,578,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($49,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($49,740)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($48,850)

#47. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $38,490
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,080
- Employment: 83,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
#46. Phlebotomists
- Annual mean salary: $38,790
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,450
- Employment: 132,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,940)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,050)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($53,880)
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#45. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Annual mean salary: $38,890
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,840
- Employment: 169,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,820)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($53,920)
--- Salinas, CA ($52,980)

#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $39,000
- #421 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- Employment: 551,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($66,260)
--- Bismarck, ND ($64,940)

#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $39,910
- #485 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 397,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,920)
#42. Medical assistants
- Annual mean salary: $40,200
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,190
- Employment: 727,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($58,670)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,930)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($53,870)
#41. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Annual mean salary: $40,670
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,140
- Employment: 214,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($62,490)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,380)
--- Champaign-Urbana, IL ($62,380)
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#40. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $41,010
- #215 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,630
- Employment: 1,010,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
--- Waterbury, CT ($50,100)
#39. Pharmacy technicians
- Annual mean salary: $41,150
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,970
- Employment: 436,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,340)
--- Napa, CA ($58,620)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,390)

#38. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $41,220
- #493 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- Employment: 367,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($67,140)

#37. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $41,350
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,740
- Employment: 656,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,010)
--- Napa, CA ($52,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,300)
#36. Counter and rental clerks
- Annual mean salary: $41,650
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,170
- Employment: 371,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($48,760)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($47,080)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,760)
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#35. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $42,390
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,920
- Employment: 1,416,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

#34. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $42,410
- #320 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#33. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $42,440
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,080
- Employment: 1,825,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($54,450)
#32. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,470
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,750
- Employment: 429,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)
#31. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,680
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,140
- Employment: 1,509,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,670)
--- Napa, CA ($54,940)
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#30. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $42,740
- #277 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#29. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $42,900
- #323 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,890
- Employment: 1,143,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)
#28. Construction laborers
- Annual mean salary: $42,970
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,130
- Employment: 968,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($65,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($64,590)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($63,820)
#27. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $43,170
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,460
- Employment: 398,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)
#26. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,530
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,910
- Employment: 238,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($59,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,140)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,710)
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#25. Dental assistants
- Annual mean salary: $45,750
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,510
- Employment: 347,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,150)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($55,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)
#24. Roofers
- Annual mean salary: $46,160
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 129,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($81,450)
--- Anchorage, AK ($74,990)
--- Danbury, CT ($73,020)

#23. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,460
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- Employment: 333,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
--- Monroe, MI ($66,560)
#22. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $48,150
- #188 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 186,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Bedford, MA ($90,980)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($82,820)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($79,650)

#21. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $48,240
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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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#20. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $48,590
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 629,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,810)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($62,690)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,350)

#19. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,890
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,340
- Employment: 141,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,550)

#18. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $50,710
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,020
- Employment: 261,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

#17. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $51,670
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- Employment: 356,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)

#16. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,820
- #469 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
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#15. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,950
- #398 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#13. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,340
- #207 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#12. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,350
- #340 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#11. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $55,150
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
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#10. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $56,700
- #314 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#9. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $56,840
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,120
- #485 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,270
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $65,170
- #309 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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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#5. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $66,170
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,450
- #253 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#3. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $74,030
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#2. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,070
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#1. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $82,170
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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