Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 330 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Mankato 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 Mankato 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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fizkes // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $53,060
- Median hourly wage: $25.51
- Total employment: 340 people (6.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $54,180
- Median hourly wage: $26.05
- Total employment: 690 people (12.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $54,870
- Median hourly wage: $26.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $55,290
- Median hourly wage: $26.58
- Total employment: 100 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $55,550
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 90 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 100 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $56,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 390 people (7.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $56,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.23
- Total employment: 70 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Indypendenz // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $57,070
- Median hourly wage: $27.44
- Total employment: 90 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.19
- Total employment: 130 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $59,440
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 770 people (13.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $59,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 160 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $59,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.71
- Total employment: Not available
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Dental assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 120 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 170 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $60,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 160 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $60,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 90 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 320 people (5.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 210 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 150 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 110 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 160 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,950
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 530 people (9.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Eligibility interviewers, government programs (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,950
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,840
- Median hourly wage: $31.17
- Total employment: 70 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $65,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $65,610
- Median hourly wage: $31.55
- Total employment: 200 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,290
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 90 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $69,290
- Median hourly wage: $33.31
- Total employment: 340 people (6.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $71,860
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 330 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $72,150
- Median hourly wage: $34.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 130 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $73,780
- Median hourly wage: $35.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 140 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 110 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 70 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.43
- Total employment: 150 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 200 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $82,200
- Median hourly wage: $39.52
- Total employment: 270 people (4.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $82,370
- Median hourly wage: $39.60
- Total employment: 160 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $83,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.99
- Total employment: 250 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $97,870
- Median hourly wage: $47.05
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $118,080
- Median hourly wage: $56.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.87 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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