Indypendenz // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 1,250 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Greensboro 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 Greensboro 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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BearFotos // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $56,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.15
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $56,520
- Median hourly wage: $27.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $56,550
- Median hourly wage: $27.19
- Total employment: 1,800 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $57,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.87
- Total employment: 790 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $58,080
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 170 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 130 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 790 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $59,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 1,730 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $59,520
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 260 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $60,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 2,520 people (7.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $60,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 1,760 people (4.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 2,010 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 110 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $60,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 470 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 580 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 160 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 110 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 210 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 2,870 people (8.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 530 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.84
- Total employment: 160 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $62,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 1,410 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 4,120 people (11.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $62,750
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 380 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 860 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 610 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $63,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.61
- Total employment: 250 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 90 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $64,240
- Median hourly wage: $30.88
- Total employment: 130 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $64,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 2,420 people (6.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $64,870
- Median hourly wage: $31.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 130 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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funnyangel // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,990
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $69,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.35
- Total employment: 990 people (2.77 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: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 2,070 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $72,900
- Median hourly wage: $35.05
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,260
- Median hourly wage: $35.70
- Total employment: 1,660 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $75,240
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,600
- Median hourly wage: $36.83
- Total employment: 360 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $79,170
- Median hourly wage: $38.06
- Total employment: 240 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 680 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 610 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $98,950
- Median hourly wage: $47.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $99,200
- Median hourly wage: $47.69
- Total employment: 390 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $105,620
- Median hourly wage: $50.78
- Total employment: 60 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $107,940
- Median hourly wage: $51.89
- Total employment: 90 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $131,510
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.29 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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