Highest-paying jobs in Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek 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.

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $48,910
- Median hourly wage: $23.51
- Total employment: 140 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $48,940
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 60 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Office and administrative support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 130 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Freedomz // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Health technologists and technicians, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,250
- Median hourly wage: $23.68
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $49,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 320 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Healthcare support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

- Median annual wage: $50,120
- Median hourly wage: $24.09
- Total employment: 50 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Dental assistants

- Median annual wage: $50,500
- Median hourly wage: $24.28
- Total employment: 90 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DC Studio // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $50,600
- Median hourly wage: $24.33
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $50,630
- Median hourly wage: $24.34
- Total employment: 70 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $50,680
- Median hourly wage: $24.37
- Total employment: 280 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 100 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $52,500
- Median hourly wage: $25.24
- Total employment: 90 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $52,720
- Median hourly wage: $25.35
- Total employment: 140 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $53,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.81
- Total employment: 630 people (11.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $53,980
- Median hourly wage: $25.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $54,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 180 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $55,060
- Median hourly wage: $26.47
- Total employment: 150 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $55,540
- Median hourly wage: $26.70
- Total employment: 180 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $55,660
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 60 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $55,750
- Median hourly wage: $26.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitreel // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Food batchmakers

- Median annual wage: $55,890
- Median hourly wage: $26.87
- Total employment: 380 people (7.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 120 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 150 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,280
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 310 people (5.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $61,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 70 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#20. Painters, construction and maintenance (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 390 people (7.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 90 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

33 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.76
- Total employment: 220 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $62,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 140 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 110 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $63,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.41
- Total employment: 160 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $64,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.95
- Total employment: 180 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $65,660
- Median hourly wage: $31.57
- Total employment: 520 people (9.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 630 people (11.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $67,290
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $69,390
- Median hourly wage: $33.36
- Total employment: 90 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $70,470
- Median hourly wage: $33.88
- Total employment: 280 people (5.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 340 people (6.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,630
- Median hourly wage: $36.84
- Total employment: 180 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Prath // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $81,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.42
- Total employment: 230 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $85,680
- Median hourly wage: $41.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $98,180
- Median hourly wage: $47.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $115,580
- Median hourly wage: $55.57
- Total employment: 130 people (2.39 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.