brizmaker // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $59,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 90 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Yakima 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 Yakima 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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welcomia // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 180 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $60,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 510 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 480 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 130 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 270 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $61,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.53
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 120 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $62,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $62,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 160 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 220 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $63,300
- Median hourly wage: $30.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 280 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $64,670
- Median hourly wage: $31.09
- Total employment: 100 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $64,900
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 160 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $65,180
- Median hourly wage: $31.34
- Total employment: 420 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Shift Drive // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,200
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 240 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $67,500
- Median hourly wage: $32.45
- Total employment: 880 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 80 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $69,470
- Median hourly wage: $33.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $70,090
- Median hourly wage: $33.70
- Total employment: 640 people (6.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $71,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.48
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,130
- Median hourly wage: $34.68
- Total employment: 150 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $73,990
- Median hourly wage: $35.57
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $74,370
- Median hourly wage: $35.76
- Total employment: 190 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 860 people (8.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 210 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vera Larina // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $79,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 120 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $80,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 440 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $80,930
- Median hourly wage: $38.91
- Total employment: 80 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 420 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $84,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $84,550
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $85,840
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 120 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $85,850
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 350 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,690
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 300 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $104,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $108,870
- Median hourly wage: $52.34
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $119,330
- Median hourly wage: $57.37
- Total employment: 100 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $122,160
- Median hourly wage: $58.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.5 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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