Highest-paying jobs in Flint 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 Flint 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.

goodluz // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $50,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $50,850
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 430 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $51,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.88
- Total employment: 170 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $51,770
- Median hourly wage: $24.89
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 110 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

6 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $51,880
- Median hourly wage: $24.94
- Total employment: 400 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 230 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $54,370
- Median hourly wage: $26.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $54,690
- Median hourly wage: $26.29
- Total employment: 130 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $55,770
- Median hourly wage: $26.81
- Total employment: 130 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $56,690
- Median hourly wage: $27.26
- Total employment: 210 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $58,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.93
- Total employment: 110 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $58,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 490 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

15 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,480
- Median hourly wage: $28.11
- Total employment: 640 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,780
- Median hourly wage: $28.26
- Total employment: 450 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $58,900
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 240 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $59,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 330 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $59,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 370 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,400
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 890 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 500 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $61,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 400 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 220 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $61,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.76
- Total employment: 90 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 950 people (7.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Irene Miller // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $62,610
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 270 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 560 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.52
- Total employment: 80 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 280 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $64,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $64,970
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 650 people (4.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,060
- Median hourly wage: $32.24
- Total employment: 460 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $67,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $67,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 100 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $67,290
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 170 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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brizmaker // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $68,020
- Median hourly wage: $32.70
- Total employment: 120 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $70,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $70,530
- Median hourly wage: $33.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $72,770
- Median hourly wage: $34.99
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.07
- Total employment: 80 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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LuckView // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $74,080
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 450 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 440 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Industrial truck and tractor operators

- Median annual wage: $76,430
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 920 people (6.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,720
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 120 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $78,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 780 people (5.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $80,780
- Median hourly wage: $38.84
- Total employment: 110 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $81,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.33
- Total employment: 380 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $84,180
- Median hourly wage: $40.47
- Total employment: 670 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $96,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)