Highest-paying jobs in Scranton 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 Scranton 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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1 / 50

#50. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $56,620
- Median hourly wage: $27.22
- Total employment: 1,130 people (4.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 740 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $57,550
- Median hourly wage: $27.67
- Total employment: 200 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $57,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.71
- Total employment: 310 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 160 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $57,700
- Median hourly wage: $27.74
- Total employment: 90 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dagmara_K // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Drywall and ceiling tile installers

- Median annual wage: $58,000
- Median hourly wage: $27.89
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $58,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.02
- Total employment: 1,100 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $58,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.08
- Total employment: 360 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LuckView // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $58,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.10
- Total employment: 780 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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11 / 50

#40. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $59,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 580 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $59,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 210 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $59,420
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 200 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $59,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 420 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 460 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $59,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 190 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 150 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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19 / 50

#32. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 360 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 1,920 people (7.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $61,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 170 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 2,040 people (8.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 770 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $61,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 2,400 people (9.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 1,100 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $65,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 1,000 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $65,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: 1,580 people (6.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $66,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.95
- Total employment: 850 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $68,590
- Median hourly wage: $32.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $70,940
- Median hourly wage: $34.11
- Total employment: 1,530 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $74,070
- Median hourly wage: $35.61
- Total employment: 1,190 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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36 / 50

#15. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $74,880
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 550 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $75,790
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 930 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 240 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 200 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $77,090
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $78,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 920 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $78,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $78,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 130 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $82,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $88,900
- Median hourly wage: $42.74
- Total employment: 230 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $91,710
- Median hourly wage: $44.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $96,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.49
- Total employment: 350 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 140 people (0.57 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.