Highest-paying jobs in St. Cloud 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 St. Cloud 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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Gansstock // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Grinding and polishing workers, hand

- Median annual wage: $59,480
- Median hourly wage: $28.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 150 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,790
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Dental assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 240 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $60,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 160 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $60,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 710 people (6.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $60,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 510 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 130 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $60,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.19
- Total employment: 2,020 people (19.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 150 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 240 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $61,580
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 630 people (6.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 400 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $62,120
- Median hourly wage: $29.87
- Total employment: 320 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $62,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 80 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.49
- Total employment: 180 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Freedomz // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Health technologists and technicians, all other

- Median annual wage: $64,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $65,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: 140 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.55
- Total employment: 1,150 people (11.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $65,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: 160 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 330 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $66,840
- Median hourly wage: $32.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,520
- Median hourly wage: $32.94
- Total employment: 820 people (7.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,590
- Median hourly wage: $32.97
- Total employment: 390 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $68,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.02
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Prath // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $70,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $70,720
- Median hourly wage: $34.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $71,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.43
- Total employment: 80 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $71,910
- Median hourly wage: $34.57
- Total employment: 590 people (5.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $72,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $73,300
- Median hourly wage: $35.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $73,550
- Median hourly wage: $35.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

brizmaker // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $74,280
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 150 people (1.45 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: $75,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.22
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $76,090
- Median hourly wage: $36.58
- Total employment: 310 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $76,350
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 80 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $76,430
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 210 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $78,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $78,370
- Median hourly wage: $37.68
- Total employment: 590 people (5.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $78,660
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $80,360
- Median hourly wage: $38.63
- Total employment: 70 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.96
- Total employment: 350 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $83,070
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 90 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $83,380
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 800 people (7.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $87,200
- Median hourly wage: $41.92
- Total employment: 680 people (6.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $93,230
- Median hourly wage: $44.82
- Total employment: 550 people (5.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $94,380
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 100 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $95,440
- Median hourly wage: $45.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $101,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.74 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.