Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $48,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Winchester 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 Winchester 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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $48,760
- Median hourly wage: $23.44
- Total employment: 250 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $48,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $48,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 70 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $49,020
- Median hourly wage: $23.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $49,370
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 220 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $49,420
- Median hourly wage: $23.76
- Total employment: 760 people (11.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $49,680
- Median hourly wage: $23.88
- Total employment: 80 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,070
- Median hourly wage: $24.07
- Total employment: 160 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 90 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $50,550
- Median hourly wage: $24.30
- Total employment: 80 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $52,710
- Median hourly wage: $25.34
- Total employment: 80 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $52,840
- Median hourly wage: $25.40
- Total employment: 170 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $52,890
- Median hourly wage: $25.43
- Total employment: 410 people (6.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $54,200
- Median hourly wage: $26.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $54,600
- Median hourly wage: $26.25
- Total employment: 140 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $54,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.27
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 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: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 340 people (4.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $55,400
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 140 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $55,420
- Median hourly wage: $26.65
- Total employment: 130 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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flywish // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $55,620
- Median hourly wage: $26.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $56,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.18
- Total employment: 190 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,860
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 190 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $58,190
- Median hourly wage: $27.98
- Total employment: 1,770 people (25.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 190 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $58,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 160 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $58,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 300 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 300 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $59,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $59,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 150 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.78
- Total employment: 100 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $60,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.91
- Total employment: 160 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Median annual wage: $60,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 130 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 420 people (6.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $62,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,860
- Median hourly wage: $30.22
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 100 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 730 people (10.71 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: $66,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 280 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $67,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 330 people (4.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $69,000
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 340 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $76,660
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 80 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 290 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $78,540
- Median hourly wage: $37.76
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $80,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.84
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $86,550
- Median hourly wage: $41.61
- Total employment: 100 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $94,030
- Median hourly wage: $45.21
- Total employment: 90 people (1.28 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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