Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $63,790
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 480 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City 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. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $63,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 150 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $64,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 1,550 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $64,310
- Median hourly wage: $30.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Brokerage clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.99
- Total employment: 250 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $65,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 980 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $65,760
- Median hourly wage: $31.61
- Total employment: 1,030 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $66,080
- Median hourly wage: $31.77
- Total employment: Not available
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $66,090
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 3,070 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $66,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 640 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,770
- Median hourly wage: $32.10
- Total employment: 1,620 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $67,060
- Median hourly wage: $32.24
- Total employment: 9,700 people (11.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Nagaiets // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Lighting technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,190
- Median hourly wage: $32.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $69,100
- Median hourly wage: $33.22
- Total employment: 1,110 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $69,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $70,050
- Median hourly wage: $33.68
- Total employment: 820 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $70,130
- Median hourly wage: $33.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $71,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.17
- Total employment: 3,710 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $71,360
- Median hourly wage: $34.31
- Total employment: 630 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,510
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 1,760 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $73,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.45
- Total employment: 550 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $73,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 920 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,460
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 470 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 90 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $74,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $75,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.53
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Guiderom // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
- Median annual wage: $76,860
- Median hourly wage: $36.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $77,390
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NancyS // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
funnyangel // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,710
- Median hourly wage: $37.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,780
- Median hourly wage: $37.40
- Total employment: 2,860 people (3.5 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: $78,220
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: 5,880 people (7.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 280 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,760
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 360 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $81,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 2,550 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $81,230
- Median hourly wage: $39.05
- Total employment: 210 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $84,750
- Median hourly wage: $40.75
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $95,350
- Median hourly wage: $45.84
- Total employment: 280 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 330 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $98,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 1,570 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $103,690
- Median hourly wage: $49.85
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $103,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 370 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $103,760
- Median hourly wage: $49.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,150
- Median hourly wage: $50.07
- Total employment: 170 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $106,840
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 350 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $112,680
- Median hourly wage: $54.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $113,620
- Median hourly wage: $54.63
- Total employment: 500 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $197,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 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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