Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $57,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 160 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in South Bend 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 South Bend 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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Vitpho // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $58,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.91
- Total employment: 1,780 people (13.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.30
- Total employment: 410 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.40
- Total employment: 110 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 80 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.54
- Total employment: 320 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,520
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 740 people (5.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $59,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 250 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $59,770
- Median hourly wage: $28.74
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $59,900
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 450 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $60,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 170 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 50 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rlat // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $61,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 330 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 330 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 570 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 270 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,490
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 90 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 150 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 440 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $63,770
- Median hourly wage: $30.66
- Total employment: 580 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $64,490
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 610 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $64,890
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 1,430 people (10.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $65,230
- Median hourly wage: $31.36
- Total employment: 920 people (7.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vera Larina // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $66,470
- Median hourly wage: $31.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 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: $66,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.03
- Total employment: 940 people (7.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $68,540
- Median hourly wage: $32.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $69,080
- Median hourly wage: $33.21
- Total employment: 530 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $69,890
- Median hourly wage: $33.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $70,530
- Median hourly wage: $33.91
- Total employment: 640 people (4.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $70,800
- Median hourly wage: $34.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $70,850
- Median hourly wage: $34.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $71,590
- Median hourly wage: $34.42
- Total employment: 120 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $72,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.96
- Total employment: 140 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jat306 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $73,610
- Median hourly wage: $35.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 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: $75,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 70 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 90 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 560 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $82,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.64
- Total employment: 300 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $84,690
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 600 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $84,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 90 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $94,000
- Median hourly wage: $45.19
- Total employment: 120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $101,320
- Median hourly wage: $48.71
- Total employment: 130 people (0.99 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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