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1 / 50#50. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 130 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Barnstable Town 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 Barnstable Town 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. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 260 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,220
- Median hourly wage: $30.40
- Total employment: 100 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $63,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 1,140 people (12.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 110 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $64,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $65,920
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 470 people (5.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $66,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 90 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $66,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $67,020
- Median hourly wage: $32.22
- Total employment: 120 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 150 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.90
- Total employment: 150 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $69,000
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 370 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $69,050
- Median hourly wage: $33.20
- Total employment: 1,070 people (11.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $71,730
- Median hourly wage: $34.49
- Total employment: 660 people (7.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $72,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.89
- Total employment: 260 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,910
- Median hourly wage: $35.05
- Total employment: 410 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $73,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 530 people (5.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $73,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.43
- Total employment: 140 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $73,750
- Median hourly wage: $35.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $75,180
- Median hourly wage: $36.14
- Total employment: 350 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $75,520
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 500 people (5.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $75,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.34
- Total employment: Not available
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $76,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $76,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 560 people (6.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $77,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.04
- Total employment: 470 people (5.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $77,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 220 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 140 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $79,130
- Median hourly wage: $38.04
- Total employment: 200 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $81,250
- Median hourly wage: $39.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $81,340
- Median hourly wage: $39.11
- Total employment: 520 people (5.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $81,630
- Median hourly wage: $39.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 410 people (4.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 740 people (7.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $84,060
- Median hourly wage: $40.41
- Total employment: Not available
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $89,890
- Median hourly wage: $43.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $90,520
- Median hourly wage: $43.52
- Total employment: 100 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $92,670
- Median hourly wage: $44.55
- Total employment: 150 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $93,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,600
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $95,820
- Median hourly wage: $46.07
- Total employment: 110 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,240
- Median hourly wage: $47.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $99,580
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $101,960
- Median hourly wage: $49.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $126,210
- Median hourly wage: $60.68
- Total employment: 140 people (1.48 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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