Highest-paying jobs in Topeka 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 Topeka 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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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#49. Tax preparers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $54,600
- Median hourly wage: $26.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Occupational health and safety technicians (tie)

- Median annual wage: $54,600
- Median hourly wage: $26.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $54,710
- Median hourly wage: $26.30
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitreel // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Food batchmakers

- Median annual wage: $55,340
- Median hourly wage: $26.61
- Total employment: 610 people (5.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $55,640
- Median hourly wage: $26.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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rlat // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $56,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $56,940
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $57,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.43
- Total employment: 1,340 people (11.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $57,460
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

10 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.71
- Total employment: 430 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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John Leung // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $57,700
- Median hourly wage: $27.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $57,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 540 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $58,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 150 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $59,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

15 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 1,320 people (11.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 270 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $59,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 320 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $60,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 800 people (7.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 260 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 660 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SatawatK // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 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: $60,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 410 people (3.66 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: $60,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 250 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

XiXinXing // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Medical records specialists

- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 270 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 120 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 470 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $61,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 300 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 410 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $63,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 170 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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ITisha // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $66,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $66,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.83
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $66,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $66,840
- Median hourly wage: $32.13
- Total employment: 320 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $68,050
- Median hourly wage: $32.71
- Total employment: 370 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $69,700
- Median hourly wage: $33.51
- Total employment: 130 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $70,240
- Median hourly wage: $33.77
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $70,530
- Median hourly wage: $33.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,960
- Median hourly wage: $34.12
- Total employment: 470 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $71,320
- Median hourly wage: $34.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Freedomz // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Health technologists and technicians, all other

- Median annual wage: $71,680
- Median hourly wage: $34.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $73,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 330 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 110 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $76,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 620 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,840
- Median hourly wage: $36.94
- Total employment: 630 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $77,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 560 people (5.01 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: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 180 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $93,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.02
- Total employment: 220 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $94,740
- Median hourly wage: $45.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,890
- Median hourly wage: $50.91
- Total employment: 310 people (2.75 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.