Highest-paying jobs in Mount Vernon 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 Mount Vernon 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.

brizmaker // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $62,660
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kardasov Films // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Sailors and marine oilers

- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 90 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dagmara_K // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Drywall and ceiling tile installers

- Median annual wage: $62,970
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 200 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $63,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 720 people (14.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Crossing guards and flaggers

- Median annual wage: $63,510
- Median hourly wage: $30.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $63,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.55
- Total employment: 70 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $64,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 130 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $64,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,510
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 80 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $65,840
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: 510 people (9.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 140 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Bus drivers, school

- Median annual wage: $67,040
- Median hourly wage: $32.23
- Total employment: 170 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $67,400
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

flywish // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

- Median annual wage: $69,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $69,610
- Median hourly wage: $33.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,940
- Median hourly wage: $33.62
- Total employment: 200 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Steve Hamann // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners

- Median annual wage: $71,590
- Median hourly wage: $34.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Logging equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $71,650
- Median hourly wage: $34.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $71,680
- Median hourly wage: $34.46
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $72,070
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $72,670
- Median hourly wage: $34.94
- Total employment: 190 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,810
- Median hourly wage: $35.49
- Total employment: 500 people (9.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,690
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $75,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.27
- Total employment: 170 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $76,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.93
- Total employment: 150 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 150 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 500 people (9.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $77,590
- Median hourly wage: $37.30
- Total employment: 260 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $77,870
- Median hourly wage: $37.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $77,940
- Median hourly wage: $37.47
- Total employment: 70 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $78,170
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $78,370
- Median hourly wage: $37.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 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: $78,940
- Median hourly wage: $37.95
- Total employment: 360 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $79,960
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 230 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $80,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.73
- Total employment: 180 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $80,880
- Median hourly wage: $38.89
- Total employment: 120 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $81,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 80 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.18
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $90,370
- Median hourly wage: $43.45
- Total employment: 280 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $101,010
- Median hourly wage: $48.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $101,650
- Median hourly wage: $48.87
- Total employment: 170 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $103,270
- Median hourly wage: $49.65
- Total employment: 520 people (10.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $105,250
- Median hourly wage: $50.60
- Total employment: 80 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $107,000
- Median hourly wage: $51.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $113,700
- Median hourly wage: $54.66
- Total employment: 70 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $120,260
- Median hourly wage: $57.82
- Total employment: 110 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

49 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $123,410
- Median hourly wage: $59.33
- Total employment: 480 people (9.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $126,350
- Median hourly wage: $60.75
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 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.