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1 / 50#50. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $62,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 190 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Manchester 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 Manchester 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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2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 230 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 560 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $62,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Carpet installers
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 1,030 people (5.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $63,030
- Median hourly wage: $30.30
- Total employment: 700 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $63,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 460 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Malivuk // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mechanical door repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,660
- Median hourly wage: $30.61
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 330 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $63,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.73
- Total employment: 300 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Scarc // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $64,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: Not available
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14 / 50#37. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $64,820
- Median hourly wage: $31.16
- Total employment: 110 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 960 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $65,260
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $65,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.72
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $66,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.05
- Total employment: 1,360 people (6.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $67,300
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 190 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $67,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 900 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $67,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 200 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $68,650
- Median hourly wage: $33.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $69,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $69,850
- Median hourly wage: $33.58
- Total employment: 400 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $71,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.37
- Total employment: 740 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $71,940
- Median hourly wage: $34.59
- Total employment: 230 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $72,240
- Median hourly wage: $34.73
- Total employment: 90 people (0.45 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: $73,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 1,340 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $75,140
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 740 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $75,850
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 2,330 people (11.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $79,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 240 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 940 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $79,720
- Median hourly wage: $38.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,640
- Median hourly wage: $38.77
- Total employment: 100 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $81,860
- Median hourly wage: $39.36
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $84,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.55
- Total employment: 500 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $84,880
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 1,000 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $85,050
- Median hourly wage: $40.89
- Total employment: 200 people (0.99 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: $85,300
- Median hourly wage: $41.01
- Total employment: 860 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $89,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 350 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $96,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.51
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,830
- Median hourly wage: $46.55
- Total employment: 170 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $105,660
- Median hourly wage: $50.80
- Total employment: 140 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $108,380
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 480 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $116,170
- Median hourly wage: $55.85
- Total employment: 80 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $129,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.03
- Total employment: 240 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $149,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 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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