Highest-paying jobs in Kennewick 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 Kennewick 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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SritanaN // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $67,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.27
- Total employment: 580 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

2 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,730
- Median hourly wage: $32.56
- Total employment: 660 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $69,140
- Median hourly wage: $33.24
- Total employment: 300 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $69,320
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 250 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

5 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,410
- Median hourly wage: $33.37
- Total employment: 160 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $69,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 90 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $72,090
- Median hourly wage: $34.66
- Total employment: 1,110 people (8.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

8 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 1,150 people (9.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

muratart // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $73,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $74,450
- Median hourly wage: $35.79
- Total employment: 130 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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fizkes // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $75,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 300 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $76,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 540 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,510
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 110 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

15 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.04
- Total employment: 830 people (6.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,100
- Median hourly wage: $37.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $77,810
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 440 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 90 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $78,510
- Median hourly wage: $37.75
- Total employment: 200 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $78,900
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 270 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 620 people (4.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $85,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.99
- Total employment: 130 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $85,430
- Median hourly wage: $41.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $85,690
- Median hourly wage: $41.20
- Total employment: 70 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $85,820
- Median hourly wage: $41.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Security guards

- Median annual wage: $87,770
- Median hourly wage: $42.20
- Total employment: 650 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $88,400
- Median hourly wage: $42.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $90,310
- Median hourly wage: $43.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $91,550
- Median hourly wage: $44.01
- Total employment: 110 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $92,950
- Median hourly wage: $44.69
- Total employment: 90 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $94,610
- Median hourly wage: $45.49
- Total employment: 590 people (4.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

branislavpudar // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Hazardous materials removal workers

- Median annual wage: $95,600
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 660 people (5.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $97,570
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $97,710
- Median hourly wage: $46.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $97,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $100,980
- Median hourly wage: $48.55
- Total employment: 880 people (6.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $101,980
- Median hourly wage: $49.03
- Total employment: Not available

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $103,350
- Median hourly wage: $49.69
- Total employment: 250 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $103,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Prath // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $103,940
- Median hourly wage: $49.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $104,460
- Median hourly wage: $50.22
- Total employment: 320 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $104,830
- Median hourly wage: $50.40
- Total employment: 120 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $108,740
- Median hourly wage: $52.28
- Total employment: 970 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $110,250
- Median hourly wage: $53.01
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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goodluz // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $112,530
- Median hourly wage: $54.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $113,530
- Median hourly wage: $54.58
- Total employment: 1,420 people (11.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $123,000
- Median hourly wage: $59.14
- Total employment: 120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

49 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $123,460
- Median hourly wage: $59.36
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $135,150
- Median hourly wage: $64.98
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 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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