Highest-paying jobs in Detroit 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 Detroit 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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1 / 50

#50. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $66,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 610 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $66,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

3 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,690
- Median hourly wage: $32.06
- Total employment: 13,600 people (7.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 1,030 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $67,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Roustabouts, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $67,430
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $72,060
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 4,540 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $72,460
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 4,010 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $72,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.96
- Total employment: 880 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,210
- Median hourly wage: $35.20
- Total employment: 10,800 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $74,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 1,370 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Insurance appraisers, auto damage

- Median annual wage: $75,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Model makers, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 780 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 3,390 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 13,300 people (6.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 18,610 people (9.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 6,490 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 7,590 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Josep Suria // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 320 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 6,360 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 11,840 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 5,590 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $82,100
- Median hourly wage: $39.47
- Total employment: 380 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $82,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 200 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 2,090 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $82,970
- Median hourly wage: $39.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $83,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.07
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $83,860
- Median hourly wage: $40.32
- Total employment: 1,330 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $84,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: 620 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $85,480
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 190 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $86,350
- Median hourly wage: $41.52
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $87,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: 920 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $92,450
- Median hourly wage: $44.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.06 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: $93,760
- Median hourly wage: $45.08
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $96,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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38 / 50

#13. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $96,510
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: Not available

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39 / 50

#12. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $98,340
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,380
- Median hourly wage: $47.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.66
- Total employment: 1,630 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $101,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.78
- Total employment: 3,920 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

socrates471 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $102,270
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

#7. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 210 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $106,360
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,790
- Median hourly wage: $51.82
- Total employment: 360 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $109,030
- Median hourly wage: $52.42
- Total employment: 260 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $117,830
- Median hourly wage: $56.65
- Total employment: 150 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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49 / 50

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $120,240
- Median hourly wage: $57.81
- Total employment: 270 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $149,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 380 people (0.2 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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