Highest-paying jobs in Kingsport 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 Kingsport 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.

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $48,130
- Median hourly wage: $23.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $48,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.24
- Total employment: 160 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $48,550
- Median hourly wage: $23.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $49,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $49,350
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 820 people (7.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $49,400
- Median hourly wage: $23.75
- Total employment: 360 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

7 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 320 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $49,780
- Median hourly wage: $23.93
- Total employment: 310 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $49,950
- Median hourly wage: $24.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $50,560
- Median hourly wage: $24.31
- Total employment: 640 people (5.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $50,640
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 1,790 people (15.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Josep Suria // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $51,400
- Median hourly wage: $24.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $51,700
- Median hourly wage: $24.86
- Total employment: 250 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $53,160
- Median hourly wage: $25.56
- Total employment: 210 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $53,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $54,160
- Median hourly wage: $26.04
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $54,990
- Median hourly wage: $26.44
- Total employment: 470 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $55,540
- Median hourly wage: $26.70
- Total employment: 380 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $55,590
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 600 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $55,600
- Median hourly wage: $26.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $55,610
- Median hourly wage: $26.74
- Total employment: 370 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 490 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,970
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $56,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

26 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $58,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.03
- Total employment: 710 people (6.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $58,530
- Median hourly wage: $28.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 1,360 people (11.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

30 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,070
- Median hourly wage: $28.40
- Total employment: 690 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,920
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 70 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $59,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 370 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 150 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $60,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $64,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 200 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $67,130
- Median hourly wage: $32.27
- Total employment: 200 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,210
- Median hourly wage: $32.31
- Total employment: 670 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $67,750
- Median hourly wage: $32.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $68,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $68,580
- Median hourly wage: $32.97
- Total employment: 900 people (7.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.09
- Total employment: 510 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $70,520
- Median hourly wage: $33.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 870 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $83,680
- Median hourly wage: $40.23
- Total employment: 140 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $84,820
- Median hourly wage: $40.78
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.82
- Total employment: 140 people (1.18 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.