rlat // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $65,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.50
- Total employment: 80 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salinas 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 Salinas 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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Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $65,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 150 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Personal service managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,670
- Median hourly wage: $31.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $67,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.48
- Total employment: 80 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $67,760
- Median hourly wage: $32.58
- Total employment: 130 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $67,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.62
- Total employment: 220 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $68,770
- Median hourly wage: $33.06
- Total employment: 540 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $68,800
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 230 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,510
- Median hourly wage: $33.42
- Total employment: 370 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Median annual wage: $69,560
- Median hourly wage: $33.44
- Total employment: 170 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Radovan1 / Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Median annual wage: $70,030
- Median hourly wage: $33.67
- Total employment: 70 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.40
- Total employment: 370 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $71,860
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 1,300 people (6.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $72,810
- Median hourly wage: $35.01
- Total employment: 340 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $73,260
- Median hourly wage: $35.22
- Total employment: 340 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $73,620
- Median hourly wage: $35.39
- Total employment: 140 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 1,210 people (6.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $74,630
- Median hourly wage: $35.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $75,190
- Median hourly wage: $36.15
- Total employment: 240 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $75,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 190 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $76,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.58
- Total employment: 90 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $77,350
- Median hourly wage: $37.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $77,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.45
- Total employment: 450 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $78,790
- Median hourly wage: $37.88
- Total employment: 380 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 80 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 290 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $79,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 590 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,560
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $79,850
- Median hourly wage: $38.39
- Total employment: 330 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $80,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.75
- Total employment: 630 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,850
- Median hourly wage: $38.87
- Total employment: 170 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $80,890
- Median hourly wage: $38.89
- Total employment: 150 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $82,500
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 1,040 people (5.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $85,700
- Median hourly wage: $41.20
- Total employment: Not available
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $88,710
- Median hourly wage: $42.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $90,430
- Median hourly wage: $43.48
- Total employment: 500 people (2.67 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: $90,610
- Median hourly wage: $43.56
- Total employment: 140 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $91,780
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 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: $92,300
- Median hourly wage: $44.37
- Total employment: 510 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $93,310
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vera Larina // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $99,110
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $99,320
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $105,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.65
- Total employment: 130 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $105,960
- Median hourly wage: $50.94
- Total employment: 180 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $106,280
- Median hourly wage: $51.09
- Total employment: 180 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bigflick // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $106,490
- Median hourly wage: $51.20
- Total employment: 1,490 people (7.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $122,290
- Median hourly wage: $58.80
- Total employment: 780 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $122,820
- Median hourly wage: $59.05
- Total employment: 90 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $129,880
- Median hourly wage: $62.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $141,730
- Median hourly wage: $68.14
- Total employment: 140 people (0.77 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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