From the moment they arrive on campus, today's high school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. They hear it from their guidance counselors, teachers, parents, family members, neighbors, and coaches. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students' future careers, it's not necessary for all fields — something admissions officers and guidance counselors sometimes fail to mention.
To find the highest paying jobs that don't require a college degree, Stacker consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to compile a list of all jobs that don't require higher education. All professions that listed a high school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary nondegree award, or no formal education requirements for entry-level positions were considered. Jobs that didn't list any entry-level education requirement were excluded, as were job titles that grouped several positions together. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the highest paying jobs in Portsmouth, NH-ME that don't require a college degree.
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1 / 50
#50. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $52,130
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,340
- Employment: 1,903,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($62,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,290)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,540)
2 / 50
#49. Carpenters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,710
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 668,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)
3 / 50
#48. Postal service mail carriers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,850
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,370
- Employment: 335,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)
4 / 50
#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,180
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,560
- Employment: 149,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
5 / 50
#46. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- Employment: 551,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($66,260)
--- Bismarck, ND ($64,940)
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6 / 50
#45. Postal service clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,640
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,210
- Employment: 79,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)
7 / 50
#44. Machinists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- Employment: 333,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
--- Monroe, MI ($66,560)
8 / 50
#43. Sheet metal workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)
9 / 50
#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $56,580
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,020
- Employment: 261,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)
10 / 50
#41. Surgical technologists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,310
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)
11 / 50
#40. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,430
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 397,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,920)
12 / 50
#39. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,610
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- Employment: 356,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)
13 / 50
#38. Electricians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
14 / 50
#37. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,380
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,790
- Employment: 218,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)
15 / 50
#36. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,850
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,320
- Employment: 121,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)
16 / 50
#34 (tie). Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890)
--- Fresno, CA ($86,230)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)
17 / 50
#34 (tie). Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- Employment: 417,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)
18 / 50
#33. Self-enrichment teachers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,360
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
19 / 50
#32. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,280
- Employment: 145,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)
20 / 50
#31. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,310
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 641,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($76,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)
21 / 50
#30. Real estate sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,480
- Employment: 175,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)
22 / 50
#29. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- Employment: 116,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)
23 / 50
#28. Computer user support specialists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $61,000
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,650
- Employment: 654,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)
24 / 50
#27. Industrial machinery mechanics
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- Employment: 373,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
25 / 50
#26. Chefs and head cooks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,570
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- Employment: 129,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($79,430)
26 / 50
#25. Construction and building inspectors
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $64,590
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,480
- Employment: 117,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)
27 / 50
#24. Tax preparers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $65,380
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,080
- Employment: 83,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
28 / 50
#23. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $66,140
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- Employment: 367,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($67,140)
29 / 50
#22. Tool and die makers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,140
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,150
- Employment: 63,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,920)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($72,510)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($71,910)
30 / 50
#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,400
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- Employment: 466,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)
31 / 50
#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,680
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,380
- Employment: 1,443,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)
32 / 50
#19. Food service managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,700
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)
33 / 50
#18. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $68,900
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,140)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($84,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)
34 / 50
#17. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,090
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)
35 / 50
#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,170
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)
36 / 50
#15. Lodging managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $70,830
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
37 / 50
#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $74,150
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,060
- Employment: 665,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)
38 / 50
#13. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $74,300
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)
39 / 50
#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)
40 / 50
#11. Insurance sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,060
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,340
- Employment: 422,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
41 / 50
#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,710
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,960
- Employment: 278,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,800)
42 / 50
#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,830
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- Employment: 526,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)
43 / 50
#7 (tie). Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,980
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,026,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)
44 / 50
#7 (tie). First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,980
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,270
- Employment: 80,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($171,060)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,860)
45 / 50
#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $81,570
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,330
- Employment: 629,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($90,410)
46 / 50
#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $86,790
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,370
- Employment: 107,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
47 / 50
#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $91,750
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,060
- Employment: 123,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,490)
48 / 50
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $94,530
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,760
- Employment: 128,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
49 / 50
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $113,410
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)
50 / 50
#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $116,230
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $92,320
- Employment: 243,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
