Highest-paying jobs in Staunton 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 Staunton 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.

You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Staunton

DC Studio // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $48,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.32
- Total employment: 80 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $48,580
- Median hourly wage: $23.36
- Total employment: 50 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $48,870
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 70 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $49,560
- Median hourly wage: $23.83
- Total employment: 1,040 people (20.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $49,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.89
- Total employment: 520 people (10.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Staunton

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $49,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: 230 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 320 people (6.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $51,220
- Median hourly wage: $24.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rido // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Opticians, dispensing

- Median annual wage: $51,360
- Median hourly wage: $24.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: The most expensive homes sold in Staunton this year

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $52,280
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $52,570
- Median hourly wage: $25.27
- Total employment: 910 people (17.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $54,020
- Median hourly wage: $25.97
- Total employment: 120 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 130 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $54,700
- Median hourly wage: $26.30
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Staunton 7-day weather forecast

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $54,720
- Median hourly wage: $26.31
- Total employment: 120 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $55,170
- Median hourly wage: $26.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $56,150
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 200 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $56,510
- Median hourly wage: $27.17
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $56,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.18
- Total employment: 140 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 220 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,830
- Median hourly wage: $27.80
- Total employment: 220 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $58,210
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 90 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $58,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.02
- Total employment: 100 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Coat drives near Staunton

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

26 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 340 people (6.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 230 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 160 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $60,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 80 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 80 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 290 people (5.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $61,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 90 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

33 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 330 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 300 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,570
- Median hourly wage: $30.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 120 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $63,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $63,770
- Median hourly wage: $30.66
- Total employment: 80 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 230 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $69,300
- Median hourly wage: $33.32
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $70,150
- Median hourly wage: $33.73
- Total employment: 290 people (5.75 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: $72,060
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 380 people (7.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,550
- Median hourly wage: $35.36
- Total employment: 280 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $77,080
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $81,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.22
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $98,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.56
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 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.

You may also like: Closest national parks to Staunton