welcomia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.52
- Total employment: 1,200 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge 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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2 / 50#49. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $61,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 820 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $62,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 630 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 200 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 1,440 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 210 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 1,390 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $63,900
- Median hourly wage: $30.72
- Total employment: 810 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $64,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 3,180 people (7.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Denys Yelmanov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bridge and lock tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $65,910
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 410 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $66,350
- Median hourly wage: $31.90
- Total employment: 1,540 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $67,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $67,800
- Median hourly wage: $32.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.63
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $67,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $69,240
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 3,530 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $70,930
- Median hourly wage: $34.10
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $71,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.24
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.35
- Total employment: 340 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $72,010
- Median hourly wage: $34.62
- Total employment: 3,400 people (8.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $73,910
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 660 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,010
- Median hourly wage: $35.58
- Total employment: 2,080 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $74,120
- Median hourly wage: $35.63
- Total employment: 560 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photostriker // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.24
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $75,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 3,910 people (9.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 370 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BearFotos // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 590 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 250 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $77,920
- Median hourly wage: $37.46
- Total employment: 240 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $79,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 480 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $79,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.35
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $79,930
- Median hourly wage: $38.43
- Total employment: 4,190 people (10.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 210 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $84,220
- Median hourly wage: $40.49
- Total employment: 1,100 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $88,650
- Median hourly wage: $42.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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HannaTor // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,450
- Median hourly wage: $46.85
- Total employment: 440 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $97,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.09
- Total employment: 2,500 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $98,790
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 2,840 people (7.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $101,130
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 1,640 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $101,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 670 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $102,820
- Median hourly wage: $49.44
- Total employment: 820 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $103,300
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $103,540
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $113,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 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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