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1 / 50#50. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 570 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria 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. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $64,290
- Median hourly wage: $30.91
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,390
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 130 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $64,880
- Median hourly wage: $31.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GolF2532 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $65,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Socrates471 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Audio and video technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.59
- Total employment: 80 people (0.39 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: $67,150
- Median hourly wage: $32.28
- Total employment: 1,340 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.75
- Total employment: 170 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $69,220
- Median hourly wage: $33.28
- Total employment: 240 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $70,420
- Median hourly wage: $33.86
- Total employment: 1,720 people (8.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Goldsithney // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $71,090
- Median hourly wage: $34.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $71,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.43
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $71,860
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 550 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $72,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.64
- Total employment: 1,120 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $72,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.72
- Total employment: 390 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $74,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 300 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $74,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 260 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $75,490
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 120 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $75,780
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 560 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 740 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $76,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 450 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 190 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 950 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $78,930
- Median hourly wage: $37.95
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 420 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,370
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 130 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $80,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $80,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 100 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 510 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
mariakray // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Traffic technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $83,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 260 people (1.28 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: $83,980
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 550 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
funnyangel // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $85,870
- Median hourly wage: $41.28
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $89,030
- Median hourly wage: $42.81
- Total employment: 350 people (1.71 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: $90,050
- Median hourly wage: $43.30
- Total employment: 750 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.60
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $95,930
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.44
- Total employment: 220 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $106,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $109,070
- Median hourly wage: $52.44
- Total employment: 220 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $119,580
- Median hourly wage: $57.49
- Total employment: 720 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $123,380
- Median hourly wage: $59.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $129,370
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $133,600
- Median hourly wage: $64.23
- Total employment: 160 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $136,850
- Median hourly wage: $65.79
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $157,520
- Median hourly wage: $75.73
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 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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