Highest-paying jobs in Hinesville 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 Hinesville 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.

Milkovasa // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Medical assistants

- Median annual wage: $36,440
- Median hourly wage: $17.52
- Total employment: 80 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Tellers

- Median annual wage: $36,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 50 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Office and administrative support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 30 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $37,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 220 people (10.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

- Median annual wage: $38,080
- Median hourly wage: $18.31
- Total employment: 120 people (5.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Court, municipal, and license clerks

- Median annual wage: $38,910
- Median hourly wage: $18.71
- Total employment: 40 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Pharmacy technicians

- Median annual wage: $39,100
- Median hourly wage: $18.80
- Total employment: 60 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Social and human service assistants

- Median annual wage: $39,460
- Median hourly wage: $18.97
- Total employment: 60 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#41. Dental assistants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 70 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Office clerks, general (tie)

- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 460 people (22.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Billing and posting clerks

- Median annual wage: $40,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.50
- Total employment: 40 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Industrial truck and tractor operators

- Median annual wage: $44,380
- Median hourly wage: $21.34
- Total employment: 300 people (14.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Packers and packagers, hand

- Median annual wage: $44,730
- Median hourly wage: $21.51
- Total employment: 50 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

- Median annual wage: $45,330
- Median hourly wage: $21.79
- Total employment: 110 people (5.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks

- Median annual wage: $45,360
- Median hourly wage: $21.81
- Total employment: 110 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $46,500
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 190 people (9.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $46,910
- Median hourly wage: $22.55
- Total employment: 60 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Security guards

- Median annual wage: $47,050
- Median hourly wage: $22.62
- Total employment: 90 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $47,320
- Median hourly wage: $22.75
- Total employment: 70 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $48,390
- Median hourly wage: $23.26
- Total employment: 50 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $49,280
- Median hourly wage: $23.69
- Total employment: 140 people (7.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $50,150
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 70 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Production workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 80 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $50,870
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 60 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $50,880
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 160 people (7.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

XiXinXing // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Medical records specialists

- Median annual wage: $51,460
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 30 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 170 people (8.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,460
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 90 people (4.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $53,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 50 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $54,480
- Median hourly wage: $26.19
- Total employment: 190 people (9.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $54,840
- Median hourly wage: $26.36
- Total employment: 70 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $54,980
- Median hourly wage: $26.43
- Total employment: 180 people (8.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $56,020
- Median hourly wage: $26.93
- Total employment: 30 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $56,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.15
- Total employment: 40 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $56,760
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 40 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Shift Drive // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $56,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.36
- Total employment: 40 people (2.1 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: $57,250
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 60 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $58,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 60 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 240 people (11.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 90 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 40 people (1.97 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: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 50 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $66,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 60 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $67,180
- Median hourly wage: $32.30
- Total employment: 30 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $68,810
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 40 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $71,520
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 110 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $72,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 80 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $76,610
- Median hourly wage: $36.83
- Total employment: 90 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $79,960
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 40 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $80,630
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 30 people (1.59 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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