Vasin Lee // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Residential advisors
- Median annual wage: $45,180
- Median hourly wage: $21.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Muncie 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 Muncie 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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4 PM production // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $45,190
- Median hourly wage: $21.73
- Total employment: 260 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $45,250
- Median hourly wage: $21.76
- Total employment: 160 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $45,300
- Median hourly wage: $21.78
- Total employment: 200 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,420
- Median hourly wage: $21.84
- Total employment: 50 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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flywish // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $45,790
- Median hourly wage: $22.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,840
- Median hourly wage: $22.04
- Total employment: 230 people (5.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $46,030
- Median hourly wage: $22.13
- Total employment: 440 people (9.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $46,150
- Median hourly wage: $22.19
- Total employment: 370 people (8.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $46,820
- Median hourly wage: $22.51
- Total employment: 220 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $47,190
- Median hourly wage: $22.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Dental assistants
- Median annual wage: $47,340
- Median hourly wage: $22.76
- Total employment: 110 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DedMityay // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Foundry mold and coremakers
- Median annual wage: $48,290
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $48,800
- Median hourly wage: $23.46
- Total employment: 100 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $48,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 180 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $49,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.97
- Total employment: 210 people (4.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $49,960
- Median hourly wage: $24.02
- Total employment: 50 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $50,200
- Median hourly wage: $24.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $50,400
- Median hourly wage: $24.23
- Total employment: 80 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $53,200
- Median hourly wage: $25.58
- Total employment: 70 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $53,540
- Median hourly wage: $25.74
- Total employment: 180 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $53,640
- Median hourly wage: $25.79
- Total employment: 70 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $55,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 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: $55,550
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 60 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 80 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 140 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $57,860
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 100 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $58,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 60 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 120 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,430
- Median hourly wage: $28.09
- Total employment: 120 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,120
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 220 people (4.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#15. Production, planning, and expediting clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 50 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 110 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 100 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 340 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 310 people (6.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,120
- Median hourly wage: $29.87
- Total employment: 180 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 120 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 240 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $63,970
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 310 people (6.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 620 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $67,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 180 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $68,640
- Median hourly wage: $33.00
- Total employment: 270 people (5.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $71,270
- Median hourly wage: $34.26
- Total employment: 160 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $73,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 50 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,310
- Median hourly wage: $36.21
- Total employment: 140 people (3.1 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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