BearFotos // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,680
- Median hourly wage: $24.85
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Jackson 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 Jackson 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.
You may also like: Coat drives near Jackson
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $51,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.88
- Total employment: 230 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 150 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $51,930
- Median hourly wage: $24.97
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 180 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Jackson that require a graduate degree
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $52,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 400 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sergey Ryzhov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $52,390
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $52,460
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 440 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $53,330
- Median hourly wage: $25.64
- Total employment: 520 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $53,400
- Median hourly wage: $25.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying management jobs for people in Jackson
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $53,510
- Median hourly wage: $25.73
- Total employment: Not available
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,450
- Median hourly wage: $26.18
- Total employment: 480 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $54,890
- Median hourly wage: $26.39
- Total employment: 300 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $55,050
- Median hourly wage: $26.47
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,540
- Median hourly wage: $26.70
- Total employment: 730 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Jackson
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $55,630
- Median hourly wage: $26.75
- Total employment: 280 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $55,980
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 4,810 people (17.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,120
- Median hourly wage: $26.98
- Total employment: 830 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $56,660
- Median hourly wage: $27.24
- Total employment: 560 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $57,590
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house $1 million buys you in Jackson
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $57,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $58,370
- Median hourly wage: $28.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $58,440
- Median hourly wage: $28.10
- Total employment: 340 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $58,730
- Median hourly wage: $28.24
- Total employment: 3,250 people (12.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $58,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Bib Gourmand restaurants in Jackson
Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $59,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 6,790 people (25.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 1,830 people (6.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of police and detectives (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 410 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Jackson metro area
welcomia // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 380 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 1,090 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 150 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 210 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 150 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Where people in Jackson are looking to buy homes
Vladeep // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $63,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 90 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $65,400
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 1,610 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $65,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 130 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $65,930
- Median hourly wage: $31.70
- Total employment: 860 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,020
- Median hourly wage: $31.74
- Total employment: 670 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Most common languages spoken at home in Greater Jackson and surrounding regions
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 520 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $68,020
- Median hourly wage: $32.70
- Total employment: 1,790 people (6.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $68,460
- Median hourly wage: $32.91
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $68,850
- Median hourly wage: $33.10
- Total employment: 1,610 people (5.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $72,750
- Median hourly wage: $34.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Jackson for high school graduates
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,840
- Median hourly wage: $35.98
- Total employment: 310 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,490
- Median hourly wage: $36.30
- Total employment: 330 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $76,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.92
- Total employment: 670 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $93,660
- Median hourly wage: $45.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $107,030
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 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.
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Jackson in the last week
