G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 190 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor 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. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $60,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 380 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 300 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 120 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vagengeim // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,490
- Median hourly wage: $30.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,720
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 460 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.22
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.37
- Total employment: 380 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $63,220
- Median hourly wage: $30.40
- Total employment: 470 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 90 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.65
- Total employment: 540 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 1,170 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $64,650
- Median hourly wage: $31.08
- Total employment: 440 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $65,060
- Median hourly wage: $31.28
- Total employment: 680 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,150
- Median hourly wage: $31.32
- Total employment: 190 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 480 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $65,300
- Median hourly wage: $31.39
- Total employment: 170 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $65,610
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 540 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $66,870
- Median hourly wage: $32.15
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $67,830
- Median hourly wage: $32.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $67,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.67
- Total employment: 1,210 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $68,190
- Median hourly wage: $32.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Goldsithney // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,010
- Median hourly wage: $33.66
- Total employment: 350 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $70,270
- Median hourly wage: $33.78
- Total employment: 680 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $70,870
- Median hourly wage: $34.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,780
- Median hourly wage: $34.99
- Total employment: 450 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $73,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,350
- Median hourly wage: $35.75
- Total employment: 260 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $75,280
- Median hourly wage: $36.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $76,440
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 330 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 1,180 people (5.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 150 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $77,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 500 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $78,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 80 people (0.37 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: $80,220
- Median hourly wage: $38.57
- Total employment: 400 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $81,240
- Median hourly wage: $39.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,260
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 540 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $82,020
- Median hourly wage: $39.44
- Total employment: 650 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $82,660
- Median hourly wage: $39.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $84,810
- Median hourly wage: $40.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $97,760
- Median hourly wage: $47.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $100,630
- Median hourly wage: $48.38
- Total employment: 70 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $104,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 610 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $105,930
- Median hourly wage: $50.93
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $106,220
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $106,910
- Median hourly wage: $51.40
- Total employment: 260 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $109,560
- Median hourly wage: $52.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $122,960
- Median hourly wage: $59.11
- Total employment: 80 people (0.36 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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