rlat // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salem 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 Salem 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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Goldsithney // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Psychiatric technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 440 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $64,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $64,490
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,050
- Median hourly wage: $31.27
- Total employment: 220 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $65,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.63
- Total employment: 360 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $66,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 370 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $66,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.07
- Total employment: 750 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $67,500
- Median hourly wage: $32.45
- Total employment: 1,390 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $68,330
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 960 people (5.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $68,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,180
- Median hourly wage: $33.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $69,560
- Median hourly wage: $33.44
- Total employment: 910 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.35
- Total employment: 150 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $71,870
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $71,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.61
- Total employment: 220 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $72,480
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 220 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $72,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 200 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $72,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $74,690
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 130 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $75,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 120 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $76,030
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 680 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Tapers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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John Leung // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $78,450
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $78,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $79,420
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 170 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $79,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.27
- Total employment: 440 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $80,020
- Median hourly wage: $38.47
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 510 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $80,580
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 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: $81,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: 640 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $82,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.78
- Total employment: 750 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $82,920
- Median hourly wage: $39.87
- Total employment: 780 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $84,540
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 170 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $85,170
- Median hourly wage: $40.95
- Total employment: 570 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 150 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $87,880
- Median hourly wage: $42.25
- Total employment: 140 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,550
- Median hourly wage: $42.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $89,970
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 90 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $92,660
- Median hourly wage: $44.55
- Total employment: 890 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $94,330
- Median hourly wage: $45.35
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $95,650
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 140 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,280
- Median hourly wage: $46.77
- Total employment: 240 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $107,340
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $107,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $127,600
- Median hourly wage: $61.35
- Total employment: 180 people (0.94 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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