Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 250 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Anchorage 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 Anchorage 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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Kot500 // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $73,060
- Median hourly wage: $35.13
- Total employment: 400 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $73,130
- Median hourly wage: $35.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $73,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.55
- Total employment: 1,160 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $74,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 80 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $75,510
- Median hourly wage: $36.30
- Total employment: 150 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 110 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $76,360
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 650 people (3.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $77,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.02
- Total employment: Not available
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $77,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: Not available
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $77,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 890 people (5.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $78,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 170 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $78,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: 150 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $78,490
- Median hourly wage: $37.74
- Total employment: 150 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $79,680
- Median hourly wage: $38.31
- Total employment: 130 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,040
- Median hourly wage: $38.48
- Total employment: 300 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $81,440
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $81,700
- Median hourly wage: $39.28
- Total employment: 190 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $83,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.99
- Total employment: 300 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $83,430
- Median hourly wage: $40.11
- Total employment: 130 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $84,020
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 460 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
24 / 50#26. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $84,680
- Median hourly wage: $40.71
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $84,680
- Median hourly wage: $40.71
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $85,840
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 950 people (5.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $86,490
- Median hourly wage: $41.58
- Total employment: 160 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $87,010
- Median hourly wage: $41.83
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Parilov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Pile driver operators
- Median annual wage: $87,630
- Median hourly wage: $42.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $89,240
- Median hourly wage: $42.91
- Total employment: 130 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $89,490
- Median hourly wage: $43.02
- Total employment: 90 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $90,150
- Median hourly wage: $43.34
- Total employment: 80 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $92,280
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 160 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $94,950
- Median hourly wage: $45.65
- Total employment: 70 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $96,610
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 170 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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David Spates // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $96,610
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 410 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 1,080 people (6.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $97,670
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 70 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $97,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.03
- Total employment: 1,410 people (8.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,170
- Median hourly wage: $47.20
- Total employment: 270 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $98,850
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: 600 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 140 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $100,400
- Median hourly wage: $48.27
- Total employment: 180 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $103,970
- Median hourly wage: $49.98
- Total employment: 210 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $110,180
- Median hourly wage: $52.97
- Total employment: 570 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Skycolors // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $111,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,340 people (7.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $111,140
- Median hourly wage: $53.43
- Total employment: 590 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $124,400
- Median hourly wage: $59.81
- Total employment: 90 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $136,420
- Median hourly wage: $65.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $143,520
- Median hourly wage: $69.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.63 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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