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

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January 5, 2021
Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

Highest-paying jobs in Amarillo 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 Amarillo that don’t require a college degree.

You may also like:100 Highest paying jobs in America

1 / 50
Kot500 // Shutterstock

#50. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $43,360
- Employment: 540

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,360
- Employment: 266,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

2 / 50
Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#49. Sheet metal workers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $43,460
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- Employment: 131,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

3 / 50
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

#48. Surgical technologists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $43,550
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,110
- Employment: 109,000
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

4 / 50
Pixabay

#47. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $43,730
- Employment: 2,060

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,850
- Employment: 1,856,130
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

5 / 50
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

#46. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $44,540
- Employment: 190

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 168,140
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

6 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#45. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $45,290
- Employment: 800

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

7 / 50
Canva

#44. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $45,430
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $43,630
- Employment: 36,290
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

8 / 50
Pixabay

#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $45,600
- Employment: 310

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,190
- Employment: 410,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

9 / 50
Shift Drive // Shutterstock

#42. Computer user support specialists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $46,090
- Employment: 360

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,550
- Employment: 647,330
- Entry level education requirements: Some college, no degree

10 / 50
SritanaN // Shutterstock

#41. Industrial machinery mechanics

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $47,170
- Employment: data not available

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

11 / 50
David Spates // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $47,370
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,420
- Employment: 342,040
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

12 / 50
welcomia // Shutterstock

#39. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $47,530
- Employment: 220

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

13 / 50
London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#38. Machinists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $48,910
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,120
- Employment: 383,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

14 / 50
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#37. Advertising sales agents

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $48,930
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

15 / 50
Pressmaster // Shutterstock

#36. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $49,420
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,050
- Employment: 52,890
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

16 / 50
Indypendenz // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $49,760
- Employment: 100

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

17 / 50
Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $49,840
- Employment: 550

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

18 / 50
Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,130
- Employment: 200

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

19 / 50
Pandu Agus Wismoyo // Unsplash

#32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,580
- Employment: 40

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

20 / 50
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#31. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,800
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $51,540
- Employment: 87,120
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

21 / 50
Canva

#30. Automotive body and related repairers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,970
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,390
- Employment: 144,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

22 / 50
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#29. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $51,860
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,390
- Employment: 142,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

23 / 50
Unsplash

#27 (tie). Crane and tower operators

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

24 / 50
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

#27 (tie). Massage therapists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,180
- Employment: 107,240
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

25 / 50
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#26. Postal service mail carriers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $52,440
- Employment: 280

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

26 / 50
rlat // Shutterstock

#25. Postal service clerks

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $52,970
- Employment: 60

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

27 / 50
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#24. Chefs and head cooks

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $53,050
- Employment: 40

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

28 / 50
Canva

#23. Construction and building inspectors

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $53,450
- Employment: 50

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

29 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#22. Lodging managers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $53,740
- Employment: data not available

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

30 / 50
ryanivy308 // Pixabay

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $53,860
- Employment: 60

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

31 / 50
Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#20. Electricians

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $54,020
- Employment: 700

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

32 / 50
Stealth Communications // Wikimedia Commons

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

33 / 50
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

#18. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $54,610
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 103,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

34 / 50
GaudiLab // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $55,210
- Employment: 970

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

35 / 50
Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#16. Medical transcriptionists

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $56,970
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $35,210
- Employment: 55,780
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

36 / 50
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $60,850
- Employment: 1,030

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

37 / 50
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $61,320
- Employment: 80

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

38 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#13. Insurance sales agents

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $61,920
- Employment: 520

National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

39 / 50
sculpies // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $62,130
- Employment: 530

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

40 / 50
Daniel Tausis // Unsplash

#11. Firefighters

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $63,720
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 324,620
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

41 / 50
Prath // Shutterstock

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 70

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

42 / 50
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $64,430
- Employment: 640

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

43 / 50
4 PM production // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $64,980
- Employment: 440

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

44 / 50
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#7. Food service managers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $66,730
- Employment: 110

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

45 / 50
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $70,920
- Employment: data not available

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

46 / 50
michaeljung // Shutterstock

#5. Power plant operators

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $73,380
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

47 / 50
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

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

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $76,060
- Employment: 130

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

48 / 50
goodluz // Shutterstock

#3. Real estate sales agents

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $83,090
- Employment: 60

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

49 / 50
Canva

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $90,700
- Employment: 30

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

50 / 50
Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Amarillo, TX
- Annual mean salary: $98,220
- Employment: 90

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

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