Highest-paying jobs in Champaign 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 Champaign 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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brizmaker // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $58,460
- Median hourly wage: $28.11
- Total employment: 80 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $58,470
- Median hourly wage: $28.11
- Total employment: 90 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $58,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.19
- Total employment: 270 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $59,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 190 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

5 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 350 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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rlat // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $59,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 90 people (0.88 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: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 520 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $61,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.43
- Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $61,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 290 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $62,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 330 people (3.18 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: $62,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 510 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 220 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $62,790
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,370
- Median hourly wage: $30.47
- Total employment: 180 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Socrates471 // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Audio and video technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 210 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kot500 // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,760
- Median hourly wage: $31.14
- Total employment: 700 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Bus drivers, transit and intercity

- Median annual wage: $65,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 260 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $65,270
- Median hourly wage: $31.38
- Total employment: 380 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.96
- Total employment: 220 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $66,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $67,210
- Median hourly wage: $32.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,660
- Median hourly wage: $33.01
- Total employment: 520 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $69,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.35
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $70,890
- Median hourly wage: $34.08
- Total employment: 230 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $71,400
- Median hourly wage: $34.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $73,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

33 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,730
- Median hourly wage: $36.41
- Total employment: 330 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $77,100
- Median hourly wage: $37.07
- Total employment: 380 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $78,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.75
- Total employment: 140 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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welcomia // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $78,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles

- Median annual wage: $79,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $79,960
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 190 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 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: $87,670
- Median hourly wage: $42.15
- Total employment: 350 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $91,390
- Median hourly wage: $43.94
- Total employment: 450 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $92,410
- Median hourly wage: $44.43
- Total employment: 160 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $92,470
- Median hourly wage: $44.46
- Total employment: 390 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $92,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.49
- Total employment: 90 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 120 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $95,290
- Median hourly wage: $45.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $98,730
- Median hourly wage: $47.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $103,520
- Median hourly wage: $49.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $104,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $108,550
- Median hourly wage: $52.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 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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