Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $47,400
- Median hourly wage: $22.79
- Total employment: 160 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith 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.
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $47,540
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 210 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $47,550
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 410 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
- Median annual wage: $47,990
- Median hourly wage: $23.07
- Total employment: 120 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $48,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.24
- Total employment: 220 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,890
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 190 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,390
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 170 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $49,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.77
- Total employment: 230 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 380 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $49,570
- Median hourly wage: $23.83
- Total employment: 400 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $49,740
- Median hourly wage: $23.91
- Total employment: 970 people (10.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $50,000
- Median hourly wage: $24.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
chalermphon_tiam // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Printing press operators
- Median annual wage: $50,760
- Median hourly wage: $24.41
- Total employment: 160 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $50,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.51
- Total employment: 830 people (8.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $51,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $51,540
- Median hourly wage: $24.78
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 460 people (4.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 170 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $52,830
- Median hourly wage: $25.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $53,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.54
- Total employment: 150 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $53,340
- Median hourly wage: $25.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.28
- Total employment: 90 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $54,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 390 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $55,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandr Rybalko // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $55,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 110 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $56,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $56,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $56,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,850
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 1,030 people (10.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.34
- Total employment: 780 people (8.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,470
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 410 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $57,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 1,130 people (11.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $58,070
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 460 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $59,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 150 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $60,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 3,310 people (34.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $60,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 210 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 510 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $65,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 120 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $69,980
- Median hourly wage: $33.65
- Total employment: 150 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $72,580
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 130 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $77,090
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $78,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.16
- Total employment: 70 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 110 people (1.13 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.
