Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 370 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Columbia 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 Columbia 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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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 710 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $59,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 250 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $59,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 1,480 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $59,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 310 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#43. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 1,590 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Massage therapists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 220 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $60,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 510 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 660 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $60,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 2,700 people (7.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $60,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.43
- Total employment: 1,090 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 130 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $62,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.01
- Total employment: 1,150 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $63,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.45
- Total employment: 230 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,620
- Median hourly wage: $30.59
- Total employment: 1,350 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
23 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $64,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 180 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $64,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 3,290 people (8.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $64,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 220 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.95
- Total employment: 4,710 people (12.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 1,100 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $66,010
- Median hourly wage: $31.74
- Total employment: 100 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 500 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,920
- Median hourly wage: $32.18
- Total employment: 520 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 260 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $68,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.76
- Total employment: 290 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,220
- Median hourly wage: $32.80
- Total employment: 1,460 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $69,800
- Median hourly wage: $33.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 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: $72,020
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 1,630 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $72,250
- Median hourly wage: $34.74
- Total employment: 270 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $72,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 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: $72,980
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 1,720 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,900
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 230 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
adriaticfoto // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Miscellaneous construction and related workers
- Median annual wage: $74,760
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,920
- Median hourly wage: $36.02
- Total employment: 1,770 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,520
- Median hourly wage: $36.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $77,330
- Median hourly wage: $37.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 210 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 270 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Suwin // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $80,640
- Median hourly wage: $38.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $102,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.49
- Total employment: 460 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $104,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $128,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 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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