Highest-paying jobs in Beckley that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Beckley 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 Beckley, WV that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Annual mean salary: $36,200
- #307 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,210
- Employment: 795,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($51,470)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,440)
--- Anchorage, AK ($47,150)
#49. Dental assistants
- Annual mean salary: $36,310
- #426 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,510
- Employment: 347,170
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,150)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($55,020)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)
#48. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $36,490
- #493 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,140
- Employment: 1,509,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,670)
--- Napa, CA ($54,940)

#47. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $36,600
- #416 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,630
- Employment: 1,010,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
--- Waterbury, CT ($50,100)

#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $36,720
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,340
- Employment: 141,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,550)
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#45. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $36,730
- #487 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,660
- Employment: 137,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
--- Ames, IA ($68,340)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)
#44. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $36,760
- #372 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#43. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $36,880
- #149 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,510
- Employment: 33,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,310)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,510)
--- Madison, WI ($70,810)
#42. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $37,180
- #465 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,560
- Employment: 149,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
#41. Construction laborers
- Annual mean salary: $37,720
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,130
- Employment: 968,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($65,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($64,590)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($63,820)
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#40. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Annual mean salary: $37,880
- #335 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,950
- Employment: 758,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($60,930)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($58,200)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($53,310)
#39. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $38,810
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,460
- Employment: 398,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,590)
#38. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $38,920
- #520 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 641,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($76,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)

#37. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $39,060
- #310 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#36. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $39,520
- #369 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,920
- Employment: 1,416,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)
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#35. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $39,560
- #519 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,340
- Employment: 1,903,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($62,600)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,290)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,540)

#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $40,060
- #426 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,320
- Employment: 121,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)

#33. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $40,360
- #428 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 668,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)

#32. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $40,750
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,890
- Employment: 1,143,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)

#31. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $41,260
- #509 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#30. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $41,820
- #431 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 397,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,920)
#29. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $42,630
- #302 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 186,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Bedford, MA ($90,980)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($82,820)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($79,650)

#28. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $42,730
- #474 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,020
- Employment: 261,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

#27. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $43,210
- #498 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- Employment: 417,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

#26. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $43,620
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,540
- Employment: 155,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,320)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($77,210)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($72,760)
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#25. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $43,650
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,420
- Employment: 392,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)

#24. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $44,380
- #431 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- Employment: 356,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)

#23. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $44,610
- #338 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- Employment: 333,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
--- Monroe, MI ($66,560)

#22. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $44,730
- #502 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $45,340
- #412 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
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#20. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $45,390
- #480 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#19. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $45,410
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,430
- Employment: 24,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($74,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,530)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($67,510)

#18. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,370
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,490
- #518 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)

#16. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $48,050
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- Employment: 551,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($66,260)
--- Bismarck, ND ($64,940)
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#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $48,510
- #403 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#14. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,620
- #434 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,210
- Employment: 79,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)

#13. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $48,820
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,790
- Employment: 31,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bakersfield, CA ($59,170)
--- Duluth, MN-WI ($57,420)
--- Amarillo, TX ($55,250)

#12. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,020
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,280
- Employment: 404,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $51,680
- #441 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
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#10. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,470
- #294 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#9. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $54,740
- #426 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#8. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $54,890
- #336 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#7. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- #467 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- #445 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $60,120
- #431 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#4. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $60,810
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#3. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,180
- #274 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#2. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $71,620
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#1. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,040
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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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