Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $57,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.84
- Total employment: 220 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,930
- Median hourly wage: $27.85
- Total employment: 790 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $58,210
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 180 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 390 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $58,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $58,730
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 1,560 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $59,740
- Median hourly wage: $28.72
- Total employment: 810 people (3.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $60,070
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 190 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $60,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 90 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $60,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 270 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.32
- Total employment: 300 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $61,140
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 1,500 people (5.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 1,270 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 1,040 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $61,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.60
- Total employment: 350 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 220 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 380 people (1.52 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: $61,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.76
- Total employment: 2,320 people (9.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rlat // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 120 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 1,270 people (5.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $61,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.81
- Total employment: 530 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $62,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.86
- Total employment: 830 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,510
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 890 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $63,030
- Median hourly wage: $30.30
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $63,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 2,720 people (10.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $63,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 150 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,770
- Median hourly wage: $30.66
- Total employment: 1,050 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $66,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 120 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $69,500
- Median hourly wage: $33.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 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: $69,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.57
- Total employment: 1,890 people (7.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.48
- Total employment: 100 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,250
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 1,010 people (4.03 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: $76,510
- Median hourly wage: $36.79
- Total employment: 1,710 people (6.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $77,740
- Median hourly wage: $37.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,900
- Median hourly wage: $37.45
- Total employment: 360 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $78,370
- Median hourly wage: $37.68
- Total employment: 110 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,940
- Median hourly wage: $38.91
- Total employment: 340 people (1.34 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: $86,050
- Median hourly wage: $41.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $86,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.56
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $88,870
- Median hourly wage: $42.72
- Total employment: 690 people (2.76 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: $90,900
- Median hourly wage: $43.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.11
- Total employment: 340 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.60
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $106,260
- Median hourly wage: $51.09
- Total employment: 170 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $106,890
- Median hourly wage: $51.39
- Total employment: 100 people (0.41 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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