Highest-paying jobs in Houston that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Houston 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 Houston that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Traffic technicians
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,590
- Employment: 7,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#49. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $58,940
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $59,200
- Employment: 14,540
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,550
- Employment: 647,330
- Entry level education requirements: Some college, no degree

#47. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,250
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,520
- Employment: 22,560
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,350
- Employment: 700
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $59,360
- Employment: 2,710
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,120
- Employment: 252,780
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $59,570
- Employment: 2,640
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $59,660
- Employment: 1,780
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#42. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Annual mean salary: $59,760
- Employment: 3,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,070
- Employment: 21,010
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
#41. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,070
- Employment: 28,090
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $60,500
- Employment: 2,250
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,040
- Employment: 15,820
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,640
- Employment: 1,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#38. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $61,780
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $80,360
- Employment: 5,060
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#37. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $62,030
- Employment: 4,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $62,220
- Employment: 6,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#35. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $62,890
- Employment: 510
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,730
- Employment: 25,570
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#34. Choreographers
- Annual mean salary: $62,970
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 4,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $63,900
- Employment: 8,910
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,960
- Employment: 27,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#31. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $64,550
- Employment: 13,730
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#30. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $64,630
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- Employment: 13,750
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#29. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Annual mean salary: $65,850
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,990
- Employment: 14,530
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#28. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $66,560
- Employment: 3,670
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#27. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $67,270
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,050
- Employment: 52,890
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $67,540
- Employment: 2,560
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $69,020
- Employment: 2,260
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $69,430
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $69,690
- Employment: 4,060
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,510
- Employment: 3,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,710
- Employment: 28,840
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#21. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#20. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,000
- Employment: 22,550
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,060
- Employment: 11,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Annual mean salary: $73,880
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,460
- Employment: 42,940
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#17. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $74,500
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $74,620
- Employment: 3,560
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $75,610
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,030
- Employment: 14,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $77,900
- Employment: 31,460
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#12. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $78,560
- Employment: 4,970
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $78,720
- Employment: 5,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,830
- Employment: 40,370
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,700
- Employment: 710
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#9. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 1,510
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,420
- Employment: 33,370
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#8. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $85,420
- Employment: 1,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $85,700
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $87,390
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. Ship engineers
- Annual mean salary: $89,820
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,540
- Employment: 8,410
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $92,970
- Employment: 6,410
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $95,340
- Employment: 1,900
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $97,200
- Employment: 1,370
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $115,580
- Employment: 3,650
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent


