Highest-paying jobs in Albuquerque that don't require a college degree

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January 5, 2021
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

Highest-paying jobs in Albuquerque that don't require a college degree

From the moment they first set foot 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, coaches—the list goes on and on. 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 non-degree 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 2019 annual mean wage.

Keep reading to discover the highest-paying jobs in Albuquerque that don’t require a college degree.

You may also like:100 Highest paying jobs in America

1 / 50
Indypendenz // Shutterstock

#50. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $49,430
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- Employment: 102,390
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

2 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#49. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $49,570
- Employment: 930

National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 697,510
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

3 / 50
Canva

#48. Cargo and freight agents

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $49,860
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,770
- Employment: 95,810
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

4 / 50
VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

#47. Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $50,020
- Employment: 600

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,390
- Employment: 123,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

5 / 50
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#46. Chefs and head cooks

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $50,040
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

6 / 50
SritanaN // Shutterstock

#45. Industrial machinery mechanics

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $50,060
- Employment: 650

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

7 / 50
ryanivy308 // Pixabay

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $50,940
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

8 / 50
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

#43. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,050
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

9 / 50
Pixabay

#42. Hazardous materials removal workers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,160
- Employment: 190

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,740
- Employment: 44,240
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

10 / 50
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#41. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,640
- Employment: 370,380
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

11 / 50
Canva

#40. Pipelayers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,330
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $43,600
- Employment: 36,270
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

12 / 50
Canva

#39. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,400
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,580
- Employment: 11,620
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

13 / 50
Pixabay

#38. Photographers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $51,670
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,440
- Employment: 50,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

14 / 50
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

#37. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $52,760
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

15 / 50
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $52,810
- Employment: 600

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

16 / 50
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#35. Postal service mail carriers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $52,880
- Employment: 830

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,180
- Employment: 339,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

17 / 50
welcomia // Shutterstock

#34. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $52,970
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,840
- Employment: 147,800
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

18 / 50
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $53,860
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

19 / 50
rlat // Shutterstock

#32. Postal service clerks

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $54,110
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,610
- Employment: 81,170
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

20 / 50
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#31. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $54,230
- Employment: 810

National
- Annual mean salary: $43,000
- Employment: 576,950
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

21 / 50
LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#30. Brokerage clerks

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $54,860
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 47,990
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

22 / 50
Pandu Agus Wismoyo // Unsplash

#29. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $54,990
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

23 / 50
GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#27 (tie). First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $55,500
- Employment: 4,690

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

24 / 50
goodluz // Shutterstock

#27 (tie). Real estate sales agents

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $55,500
- Employment: 530

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

25 / 50
Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $55,660
- Employment: 2,330

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

26 / 50
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#25. Private detectives and investigators

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $57,220
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 35,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

27 / 50
wandee007 // Shutterstock

#23 (tie). Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $57,490
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 24,940
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

28 / 50
Unsplash

#23 (tie). Structural iron and steel workers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $57,490
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

29 / 50
U.S. Air Force

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $57,790
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

30 / 50
Canva

#21. Construction and building inspectors

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- Employment: 270

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

31 / 50
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $59,130
- Employment: 1,080

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

32 / 50
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#19. Food service managers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $59,480
- Employment: 630

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

33 / 50
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

#18. Occupational health and safety technicians

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $59,990
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 20,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

34 / 50
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#17. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $60,270
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

35 / 50
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $60,590
- Employment: 2,620

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

36 / 50
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

#15. Community health workers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $60,730
- Employment: 770

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,390
- Employment: 58,950
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

37 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $61,340
- Employment: 770

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

38 / 50
sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $62,100
- Employment: 2,790

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

39 / 50
Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $62,450
- Employment: 780

National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

40 / 50
Canva

#11. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $64,950
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,990
- Employment: 14,530
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

41 / 50
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $65,190
- Employment: 490

National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

42 / 50
4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $66,180
- Employment: 1,120

National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

43 / 50
Jat306 // Shutterstock

#8. Millwrights

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $69,230
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

44 / 50
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

#7. Riggers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $72,130
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,420
- Employment: 23,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

45 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#6. Lodging managers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $74,990
- Employment: 110

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

46 / 50
Prath // Shutterstock

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $75,230
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

47 / 50
Canva

#4. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $75,340
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

48 / 50
Pixabay

#3. Gambling managers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $84,490
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $84,700
- Employment: 4,450
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

49 / 50
Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $86,470
- Employment: 230

National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

50 / 50
Canva

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Albuquerque, NM
- Annual mean salary: $88,480
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

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