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1 / 50#50. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 200 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Tuscaloosa that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Tuscaloosa using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Median annual wage: $50,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $50,550
- Median hourly wage: $24.30
- Total employment: 1,510 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $50,620
- Median hourly wage: $24.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $51,060
- Median hourly wage: $24.55
- Total employment: 410 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $51,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.63
- Total employment: 440 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $51,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.76
- Total employment: 230 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $52,820
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 120 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $53,190
- Median hourly wage: $25.57
- Total employment: 210 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#40. Office and administrative support workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,440
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Information and record clerks, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,440
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $55,660
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 440 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $55,670
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,460
- Median hourly wage: $27.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Loading and moving machine operators, underground mining
- Median annual wage: $58,020
- Median hourly wage: $27.89
- Total employment: 140 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,150
- Median hourly wage: $27.96
- Total employment: 350 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $58,210
- Median hourly wage: $27.98
- Total employment: 110 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 260 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $59,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $59,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 470 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 500 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 170 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $61,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 710 people (6.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 870 people (8.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $62,630
- Median hourly wage: $30.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.20
- Total employment: 620 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50#21. Computer user support specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.20
- Total employment: 490 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,490
- Median hourly wage: $30.53
- Total employment: 230 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.55
- Total employment: 1,650 people (15.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $64,300
- Median hourly wage: $30.91
- Total employment: 140 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,180
- Median hourly wage: $31.82
- Total employment: 120 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $66,890
- Median hourly wage: $32.16
- Total employment: 420 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Mirnes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $67,540
- Median hourly wage: $32.47
- Total employment: 140 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $68,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $68,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.99
- Total employment: 110 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $69,560
- Median hourly wage: $33.44
- Total employment: 90 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $69,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.57
- Total employment: 970 people (8.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.35
- Total employment: 90 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $72,310
- Median hourly wage: $34.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $73,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.19
- Total employment: 850 people (7.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,280
- Median hourly wage: $35.23
- Total employment: 690 people (6.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $77,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $78,340
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,500
- Median hourly wage: $42.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $99,680
- Median hourly wage: $47.93
- Total employment: 110 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $111,620
- Median hourly wage: $53.66
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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