alexdov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $53,750
- Median hourly wage: $25.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Missoula 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 Missoula 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.
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Median annual wage: $55,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 80 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $55,570
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $56,280
- Median hourly wage: $27.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,560
- Median hourly wage: $27.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $56,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 70 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $57,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 70 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 420 people (6.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.96
- Total employment: 140 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.03
- Total employment: 290 people (4.34 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: $58,750
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 200 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.27
- Total employment: 220 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $58,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.30
- Total employment: 730 people (11.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $58,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 560 people (8.46 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: $59,440
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 390 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 100 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $60,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 180 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 130 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 100 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $60,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.37
- Total employment: 210 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $61,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 110 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,580
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: Not available
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $61,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 510 people (7.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 70 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. Machinists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food service managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 140 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 300 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 240 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 120 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $66,770
- Median hourly wage: $32.10
- Total employment: 250 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $69,730
- Median hourly wage: $33.53
- Total employment: 150 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $73,010
- Median hourly wage: $35.10
- Total employment: 290 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 430 people (6.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,760
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 170 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $77,390
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 140 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.38
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $78,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 240 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $78,850
- Median hourly wage: $37.91
- Total employment: 120 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $79,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $107,150
- Median hourly wage: $51.51
- Total employment: 50 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $107,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $114,150
- Median hourly wage: $54.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $114,290
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 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.
