Highest-paying jobs in Sioux City 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 Sioux City 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.

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

1 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $50,870
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 430 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $50,900
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 430 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $51,100
- Median hourly wage: $24.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $51,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.65
- Total employment: 140 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $51,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.76
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $51,950
- Median hourly wage: $24.98
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,740
- Median hourly wage: $25.36
- Total employment: 140 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $53,220
- Median hourly wage: $25.59
- Total employment: 70 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.91
- Total employment: 190 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $55,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 1,000 people (13.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Steve Hamann // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners

- Median annual wage: $56,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $56,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.25
- Total employment: 140 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $56,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $57,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 140 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 160 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Irene Miller // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $58,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 190 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $58,330
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 230 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nikita M production // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $58,530
- Median hourly wage: $28.14
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $58,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 190 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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GaudiLab // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 470 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 300 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 250 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 190 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $60,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 340 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 120 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 90 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 160 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 290 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $64,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,880
- Median hourly wage: $31.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,950
- Median hourly wage: $31.23
- Total employment: 850 people (11.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,810
- Median hourly wage: $31.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $66,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $67,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $67,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.28
- Total employment: 340 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,720
- Median hourly wage: $33.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $74,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 160 people (2.18 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: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 440 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $79,730
- Median hourly wage: $38.33
- Total employment: 200 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 660 people (8.77 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: $83,380
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 330 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $92,710
- Median hourly wage: $44.57
- Total employment: 100 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $93,800
- Median hourly wage: $45.09
- Total employment: 80 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $100,150
- Median hourly wage: $48.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $106,060
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 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.