
Highest-paying jobs in Wausau that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Wausau 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 Wausau, WI that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
- Annual mean salary: $46,520
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,170
- Employment: 86,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,420)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,320)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($55,120)

#49. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,780
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#48. Printing press operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,330
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,120
- Employment: 145,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($56,850)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($51,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($50,370)
#47. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,610
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,240
- Employment: 157,840
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
#46. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $48,470
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
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#45. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#44. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,730
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- Employment: 367,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($67,140)

#43. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $48,780
- #420 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#42. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $49,360
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
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)
#41. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $49,510
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,060
- Employment: 48,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($92,800)
--- Napa, CA ($68,470)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($63,240)
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#40. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $49,660
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,210
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)

#39. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $49,700
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,230
- Employment: 216,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
#38. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $49,830
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,490
- Employment: 108,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($60,690)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,040)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,940)

#37. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,010
- #251 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#36. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $50,570
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#35. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,180
- Employment: 87,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Longview, WA ($65,210)
--- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL ($58,070)
--- Lewiston, ID-WA ($57,690)

#34. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Annual mean salary: $51,290
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,730
- Employment: 61,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
--- Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
--- Longview, WA ($57,410)

#33. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $51,320
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,650
- Employment: 194,330
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
--- Decatur, IL ($60,740)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($58,620)

#32. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,930
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
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: $52,080
- #234 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $53,050
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)

#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#28. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $54,130
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,570
- Employment: 57,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($70,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,980)

#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $54,490
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)

#26. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,700
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $54,730
- #346 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#24. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $54,860
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#23. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $55,060
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- Employment: 112,130
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,060)
#22. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $55,500
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#21. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $56,370
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
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#20. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $57,570
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
#19. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $58,030
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,150
- Employment: 63,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,920)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($72,510)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($71,910)
#18. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,050
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,780
- Employment: 61,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)

#17. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,100
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)

#16. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,960
- #213 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,600
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $63,010
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#13. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $64,320
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)

#12. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,330
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $64,860
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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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#10. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,970
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#9. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,800
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
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)

#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,160
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#7. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $69,260
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,540
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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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#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,020
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#4. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $77,120
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $81,020
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $94,430
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $99,730
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
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