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1 / 50#50. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $48,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 140 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Tyler 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 Tyler 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. Barbers
- Median annual wage: $48,920
- Median hourly wage: $23.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $49,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.58
- Total employment: 1,570 people (13.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $49,300
- Median hourly wage: $23.70
- Total employment: 400 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 140 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $49,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,030
- Median hourly wage: $24.05
- Total employment: 130 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $50,040
- Median hourly wage: $24.06
- Total employment: 210 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $50,120
- Median hourly wage: $24.10
- Total employment: 270 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandr Rybalko // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $50,530
- Median hourly wage: $24.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 300 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $51,580
- Median hourly wage: $24.80
- Total employment: 330 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Roustabouts, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $53,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.50
- Total employment: 240 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $53,160
- Median hourly wage: $25.56
- Total employment: 260 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $54,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $54,350
- Median hourly wage: $26.13
- Total employment: 170 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $55,240
- Median hourly wage: $26.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $55,330
- Median hourly wage: $26.60
- Total employment: 450 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $56,920
- Median hourly wage: $27.37
- Total employment: 150 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $57,550
- Median hourly wage: $27.67
- Total employment: 870 people (7.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $57,610
- Median hourly wage: $27.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $57,710
- Median hourly wage: $27.75
- Total employment: 670 people (5.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 100 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $58,780
- Median hourly wage: $28.26
- Total employment: 90 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $58,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 1,130 people (10.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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27 / 50#24. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $60,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 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: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 610 people (5.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Derrick operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $61,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $61,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 110 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 280 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $62,470
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 560 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.37
- Total employment: 470 people (4.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 260 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 270 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 470 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $69,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 100 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $69,310
- Median hourly wage: $33.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $69,340
- Median hourly wage: $33.34
- Total employment: 80 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $70,180
- Median hourly wage: $33.74
- Total employment: 110 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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43 / 50#8. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $70,340
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $71,900
- Median hourly wage: $34.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 290 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,680
- Median hourly wage: $36.87
- Total employment: 500 people (4.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $77,650
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $87,460
- Median hourly wage: $42.05
- Total employment: 170 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $100,080
- Median hourly wage: $48.12
- Total employment: 100 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $110,820
- Median hourly wage: $53.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 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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