brizmaker // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $49,370
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 120 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Terre Haute 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 Terre Haute 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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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $49,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 70 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Automotive body and related repairers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $49,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.97
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Property, real estate, and community association managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $49,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.97
- Total employment: 90 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Printing press operators
- Median annual wage: $49,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.98
- Total employment: 310 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nikita M production // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,290
- Median hourly wage: $24.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $50,690
- Median hourly wage: $24.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $51,560
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 80 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $52,050
- Median hourly wage: $25.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $52,070
- Median hourly wage: $25.04
- Total employment: 130 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vitpho // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $52,090
- Median hourly wage: $25.04
- Total employment: 1,130 people (17.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $52,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.20
- Total employment: 100 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $55,250
- Median hourly wage: $26.56
- Total employment: 290 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $55,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $56,030
- Median hourly wage: $26.94
- Total employment: 190 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 140 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 140 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $57,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.43
- Total employment: 210 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $57,280
- Median hourly wage: $27.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $57,470
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 100 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 190 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $57,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $57,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.86
- Total employment: 90 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.96
- Total employment: 120 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $58,500
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $58,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 70 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 230 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $59,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 130 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 330 people (5.07 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: $59,790
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 30 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $60,070
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 410 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 110 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 410 people (6.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Recreational vehicle service technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $61,130
- Median hourly wage: $29.39
- Total employment: 270 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 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: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 470 people (7.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $65,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.38
- Total employment: 500 people (7.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,580
- Median hourly wage: $34.41
- Total employment: 440 people (6.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.53
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $76,350
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 330 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 310 people (4.8 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: $78,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 360 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $83,880
- Median hourly wage: $40.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $88,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.34
- Total employment: 400 people (6.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $99,080
- Median hourly wage: $47.63
- Total employment: 130 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $101,220
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 80 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $113,170
- Median hourly wage: $54.41
- Total employment: 60 people (0.92 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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