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1 / 50#50. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $63,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.49
- Total employment: 140 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo 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. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $63,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.49
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.55
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $64,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.83
- Total employment: 280 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $64,240
- Median hourly wage: $30.88
- Total employment: 380 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 270 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Medical equipment preparers
- Median annual wage: $64,850
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $65,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.38
- Total employment: 620 people (5.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,720
- Median hourly wage: $32.08
- Total employment: 150 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $67,000
- Median hourly wage: $32.21
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,490
- Median hourly wage: $33.41
- Total employment: 260 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $69,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.48
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $69,720
- Median hourly wage: $33.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $72,060
- Median hourly wage: $34.64
- Total employment: 360 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $72,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.83
- Total employment: 860 people (7.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $73,710
- Median hourly wage: $35.44
- Total employment: 120 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $73,910
- Median hourly wage: $35.54
- Total employment: 1,080 people (8.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $73,930
- Median hourly wage: $35.54
- Total employment: 330 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $74,200
- Median hourly wage: $35.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $74,320
- Median hourly wage: $35.73
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $75,230
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $75,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.30
- Total employment: 670 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.48
- Total employment: 70 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $76,360
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 140 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $76,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 300 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 430 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $77,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.80
- Total employment: 360 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,790
- Median hourly wage: $37.88
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $80,070
- Median hourly wage: $38.50
- Total employment: 540 people (4.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $80,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.69
- Total employment: 180 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $80,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 140 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $83,540
- Median hourly wage: $40.17
- Total employment: 90 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $83,780
- Median hourly wage: $40.28
- Total employment: 530 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $84,360
- Median hourly wage: $40.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $87,870
- Median hourly wage: $42.24
- Total employment: 70 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $88,960
- Median hourly wage: $42.77
- Total employment: 500 people (4.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $89,960
- Median hourly wage: $43.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $92,830
- Median hourly wage: $44.63
- Total employment: 620 people (5.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $97,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $99,210
- Median hourly wage: $47.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $101,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 470 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $103,280
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $104,090
- Median hourly wage: $50.04
- Total employment: 700 people (5.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $112,600
- Median hourly wage: $54.14
- Total employment: 140 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $120,680
- Median hourly wage: $58.02
- Total employment: 290 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $127,850
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 110 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $142,060
- Median hourly wage: $68.30
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $147,960
- Median hourly wage: $71.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 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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