anatoliy_gleb // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Solar photovoltaic installers
- Median annual wage: $56,230
- Median hourly wage: $27.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Chico 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 Chico 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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Rido // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $56,340
- Median hourly wage: $27.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 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: $56,580
- Median hourly wage: $27.20
- Total employment: 360 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $57,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.45
- Total employment: Not available
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 230 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $57,920
- Median hourly wage: $27.85
- Total employment: 220 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 210 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 190 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Susan Law Cain // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Tree trimmers and pruners
- Median annual wage: $59,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $59,380
- Median hourly wage: $28.55
- Total employment: 120 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $59,430
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 90 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $60,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 340 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $60,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,120
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 180 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $61,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.60
- Total employment: 160 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 100 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $62,230
- Median hourly wage: $29.92
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $62,260
- Median hourly wage: $29.94
- Total employment: 80 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. Public safety telecommunicators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Postal service clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 70 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,260
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 780 people (9.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 390 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $66,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 400 people (5.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $67,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.50
- Total employment: 70 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $68,870
- Median hourly wage: $33.11
- Total employment: 170 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $69,480
- Median hourly wage: $33.41
- Total employment: 70 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $70,020
- Median hourly wage: $33.66
- Total employment: 530 people (6.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $71,480
- Median hourly wage: $34.37
- Total employment: 170 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $71,850
- Median hourly wage: $34.54
- Total employment: 90 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $72,620
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 330 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,880
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 220 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $75,280
- Median hourly wage: $36.19
- Total employment: 110 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $76,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 240 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $79,360
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $80,280
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 90 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,110
- Median hourly wage: $39.47
- Total employment: 270 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $84,050
- Median hourly wage: $40.41
- Total employment: 290 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $84,840
- Median hourly wage: $40.79
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $85,860
- Median hourly wage: $41.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $95,890
- Median hourly wage: $46.10
- Total employment: 230 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,510
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,400
- Median hourly wage: $48.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $112,080
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $126,140
- Median hourly wage: $60.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.88 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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