Highest-paying jobs in Longview, Texas 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 Longview 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.

Vitpho // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $49,110
- Median hourly wage: $23.61
- Total employment: 2,390 people (20.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $49,470
- Median hourly wage: $23.79
- Total employment: 130 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LaKirr // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Extraction workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $49,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.89
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $50,330
- Median hourly wage: $24.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: 330 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $51,290
- Median hourly wage: $24.66
- Total employment: 1,380 people (11.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $51,880
- Median hourly wage: $24.94
- Total employment: 320 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $52,960
- Median hourly wage: $25.46
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Guiderom // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Rail car repairers

- Median annual wage: $53,630
- Median hourly wage: $25.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $54,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.27
- Total employment: 190 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $55,160
- Median hourly wage: $26.52
- Total employment: 140 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $55,710
- Median hourly wage: $26.79
- Total employment: 160 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $56,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $57,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.43
- Total employment: 710 people (6.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,190
- Median hourly wage: $27.49
- Total employment: 1,280 people (10.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 430 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.89
- Total employment: 840 people (7.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $58,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 870 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 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: $59,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 890 people (7.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: Not available

SatawatK // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,940
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 140 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 200 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 140 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 320 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Logging equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $60,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 460 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $62,040
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 1,230 people (10.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

33 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,580
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 860 people (7.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $63,950
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 530 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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santi lumubol // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $65,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.55
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $66,270
- Median hourly wage: $31.86
- Total employment: Not available

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,490
- Median hourly wage: $32.93
- Total employment: 190 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $73,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 760 people (6.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,230
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $77,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $83,610
- Median hourly wage: $40.20
- Total employment: 210 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $103,060
- Median hourly wage: $49.55
- Total employment: 110 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $103,250
- Median hourly wage: $49.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $104,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.33
- Total employment: 110 people (0.92 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.