Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Eugene 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 Eugene 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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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $59,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 670 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 280 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $60,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 270 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Shift Drive // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 560 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $60,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 780 people (4.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 520 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $60,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 150 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 220 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $61,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 140 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $61,580
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.76
- Total employment: 220 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 340 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $63,070
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 1,310 people (8.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 530 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 270 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $64,850
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 560 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $66,940
- Median hourly wage: $32.18
- Total employment: 1,060 people (6.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $68,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.74
- Total employment: 80 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $70,890
- Median hourly wage: $34.08
- Total employment: 330 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $71,980
- Median hourly wage: $34.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,350
- Median hourly wage: $34.79
- Total employment: 120 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $72,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 140 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $72,830
- Median hourly wage: $35.01
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $73,010
- Median hourly wage: $35.10
- Total employment: 70 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $73,250
- Median hourly wage: $35.22
- Total employment: 560 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $73,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 190 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 150 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $74,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $75,130
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 290 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $75,970
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $77,130
- Median hourly wage: $37.08
- Total employment: 80 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,180
- Median hourly wage: $37.10
- Total employment: 620 people (3.97 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: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: 700 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $80,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 120 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 200 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $81,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: 210 people (1.31 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: $82,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $84,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $84,440
- Median hourly wage: $40.60
- Total employment: 700 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $87,870
- Median hourly wage: $42.25
- Total employment: 190 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $90,540
- Median hourly wage: $43.53
- Total employment: 370 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $90,960
- Median hourly wage: $43.73
- Total employment: 380 people (2.39 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: $92,520
- Median hourly wage: $44.48
- Total employment: 110 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $93,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $125,470
- Median hourly wage: $60.32
- Total employment: 100 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $126,570
- Median hourly wage: $60.85
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 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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