Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Median annual wage: $46,920
- Median hourly wage: $22.56
- Total employment: 700 people (13.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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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DC Studio // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $47,120
- Median hourly wage: $22.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $47,140
- Median hourly wage: $22.66
- Total employment: 50 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Library technicians
- Median annual wage: $47,400
- Median hourly wage: $22.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $47,940
- Median hourly wage: $23.05
- Total employment: 50 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $48,200
- Median hourly wage: $23.17
- Total employment: 160 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $48,210
- Median hourly wage: $23.18
- Total employment: 170 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $48,300
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Milton Rodriguez // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Prepress technicians and workers
- Median annual wage: $48,660
- Median hourly wage: $23.39
- Total employment: 120 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $48,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.48
- Total employment: 200 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $48,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 70 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,060
- Median hourly wage: $23.59
- Total employment: 80 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $50,420
- Median hourly wage: $24.24
- Total employment: 100 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $50,820
- Median hourly wage: $24.43
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 70 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,210
- Median hourly wage: $24.62
- Total employment: 220 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $51,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.95
- Total employment: 70 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $53,430
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 220 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $54,190
- Median hourly wage: $26.05
- Total employment: 440 people (8.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $54,930
- Median hourly wage: $26.41
- Total employment: 150 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $55,570
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $55,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,060
- Median hourly wage: $26.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $56,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.30
- Total employment: 140 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $57,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.65
- Total employment: 130 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $57,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 150 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $59,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 120 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $59,470
- Median hourly wage: $28.59
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,100
- Median hourly wage: $28.90
- Total employment: 110 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 100 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 400 people (7.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $61,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 190 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 160 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $64,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 130 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $64,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 100 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $65,190
- Median hourly wage: $31.34
- Total employment: 120 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $69,420
- Median hourly wage: $33.37
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $71,430
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 330 people (6.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $72,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.01
- Total employment: 180 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $73,620
- Median hourly wage: $35.40
- Total employment: 300 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,130
- Median hourly wage: $36.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 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: $76,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 230 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $77,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 220 people (4.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $90,410
- Median hourly wage: $43.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,470
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $100,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.31
- Total employment: 80 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 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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