Highest-paying jobs in Atlanta that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Atlanta 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 Atlanta that don’t require a college degree.
You may also like: 100 Highest paying jobs in America
#50. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $53,520
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,980
- Employment: 70,770
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#48 (tie). Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $53,810
- Employment: 840
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48 (tie). Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $53,810
- Employment: 5,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $54,060
- Employment: 11,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,440
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 47,990
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,660
- Employment: 1,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,610
- Employment: 81,170
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $54,820
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $55,030
- Employment: 6,710
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#42. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $55,310
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#41. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $55,520
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#40. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,570
- Employment: 17,150
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,550
- Employment: 647,330
- Entry level education requirements: Some college, no degree

#39. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $55,690
- Employment: 2,930
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#38. Flight attendants
- Annual mean salary: $55,810
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,230
- Employment: 120,840
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#37. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $56,360
- Employment: 6,930
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36. Subway and streetcar operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,550
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,770
- Employment: 10,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#35. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $56,620
- Employment: 3,250
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $57,270
- Employment: 610
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 35,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $57,420
- Employment: 1,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#32. Motorcycle mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $57,530
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,970
- Employment: 15,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,400
- Employment: 31,420
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#30. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,980
- Employment: 6,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#29. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $60,470
- Employment: 710
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,830
- Employment: 9,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $61,450
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,830
- Employment: 40,370
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $62,680
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $63,790
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,620
- Employment: 10,680
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,880
- Employment: 10,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#23. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $65,360
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- Employment: 9,790
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#22. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,830
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $65,920
- Employment: 9,090
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $66,660
- Employment: 30,380
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $66,680
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- Employment: 13,750
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#18. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $66,850
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#17. Sound engineering technicians
- Annual mean salary: $67,630
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 12,890
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#16. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,990
- Employment: 11,650
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,030
- Employment: 9,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,620
- Employment: 2,110
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,990
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $70,660
- Employment: 33,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,360
- Employment: 8,210
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,980
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $73,510
- Employment: 3,610
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $74,140
- Employment: 700
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $75,410
- Employment: 4,230
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $75,550
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 20,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $78,470
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $81,930
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $91,180
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $118,800
- Employment: 3,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $139,920
- Employment: 950
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent



