
Highest-paying jobs in Richmond that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Richmond that don't require a college degree
From the moment they arrive on campus, today’s high school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. They hear it from their guidance counselors, teachers, parents, family members, neighbors, and coaches. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students’ future careers, it’s not necessary for all fields — something admissions officers and guidance counselors sometimes fail to mention.
To find the highest paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, Stacker consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to compile a list of all jobs that don’t require higher education. All professions that listed a high school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary nondegree award, or no formal education requirements for entry-level positions were considered. Jobs that didn’t list any entry-level education requirement were excluded, as were job titles that grouped several positions together. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the highest paying jobs in Richmond, VA that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,460
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 740
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- Employment: 116,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)
#49. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $53,470
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)

#48. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,540
- #247 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,280
- Employment: 145,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#47. Bailiffs
- Annual mean salary: $54,230
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 16,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($69,600)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,050)
--- Glens Falls, NY ($66,980)

#46. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,280
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,370
- Employment: 335,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)
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#45. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $54,620
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,450
- Employment: 106,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($71,340)

#44. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,140
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,650
- Employment: 654,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)
#43. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $55,370
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,360
- Employment: 25,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,600)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($92,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,660)
#42. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $56,400
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,210
- Employment: 31,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($65,270)
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($57,100)
--- Lynchburg, VA ($57,020)

#41. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $56,710
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,610
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
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#40. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $57,320
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,750
- Employment: 54,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

#39. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $57,870
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- Employment: 129,810
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($79,430)

#38. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $58,110
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,080
- Employment: 8,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#37. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $58,120
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,480
- Employment: 117,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

#36. Choreographers
- Annual mean salary: $58,720
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,630
- Employment: 3,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,760)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($63,250)
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#35. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $59,410
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- Employment: 96,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- Employment: 373,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)

#33. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $59,650
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,260
- Employment: 39,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

#32. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $60,170
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 43,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
--- Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)

#31. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $60,410
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,490
- Employment: 48,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
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#30. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $60,910
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,090
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- Employment: 466,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

#29. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $61,430
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,140)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($84,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)
#28. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,460
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,370
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,380
- Employment: 1,443,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)

#27. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,410
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,970
- Employment: 15,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

#26. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $63,620
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)
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#25. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $63,870
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,310
- Employment: 44,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)

#24. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $64,210
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,200
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,480
- Employment: 175,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#23. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890)
--- Fresno, CA ($86,230)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)

#22. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $65,180
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

#21. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,050
- #291 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,940
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,060
- Employment: 665,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)
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#20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $68,990
- #283 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,030
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- Employment: 526,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)

#19. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,510
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,490
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,960
- Employment: 278,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,800)

#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,980
- #278 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,060
- Employment: 123,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,490)

#17. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $70,770
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,740
- Employment: 28,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($129,650)
--- Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)

#16. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,450
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $91,320
- Employment: 22,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)
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#15. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $71,790
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#14. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $72,180
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)

#13. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,280
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,060
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,330
- Employment: 629,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($90,410)

#12. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $73,990
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,650
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,026,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

#11. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $79,550
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,340
- Employment: 422,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
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#10. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $83,120
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,820
- Employment: 12,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $84,220
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,370
- Employment: 107,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)

#8. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $85,450
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)

#7. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $88,450
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $95,520
- Employment: 9,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)
#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $91,230
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,760
- Employment: 128,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
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#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $91,970
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,640
- Employment: 22,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($120,210)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,510)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($114,280)

#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $93,760
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,270
- Employment: 80,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($171,060)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,860)

#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $103,070
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
National
- Annual mean salary: $92,320
- Employment: 243,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $103,520
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $135,400
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,080
- Employment: 42,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
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