Highest-paying jobs in Kansas City that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Kansas City 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 Kansas City that don’t require a college degree.
You may also like: 100 Highest paying jobs in America

#50. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $54,750
- Employment: 1,850
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#49. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $54,930
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,600
- Employment: 36,270
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#48. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $55,080
- Employment: 730
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#47. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $55,560
- Employment: 5,400
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,360
- Employment: 8,210
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $56,040
- Employment: 4,600
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,850
- Employment: 734,170
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43 (tie). Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $56,750
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,040
- Employment: 15,820
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43 (tie). Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $56,750
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $56,780
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 35,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#41. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $57,200
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 52,400
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $57,760
- Employment: 2,320
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,420
- Employment: 342,040
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#39. Tool and die makers
- Annual mean salary: $57,790
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,980
- Employment: 70,770
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#38. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $58,020
- Employment: 4,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#37. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Annual mean salary: $58,530
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,560
- Employment: 102,850
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#36. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $58,580
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#35. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $58,890
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,010
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,320
- Employment: 930
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $59,700
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#31. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 4,590
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#30. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,340
- Employment: 10,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#29. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,440
- Employment: 1,770
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- Employment: 131,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $60,550
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,120
- Employment: 26,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $60,890
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#26. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $62,120
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#25. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $63,810
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $63,910
- Employment: 3,110
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- Employment: 4,250
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $65,310
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $65,520
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 60,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,120
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,650
- Employment: 2,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $68,450
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 3,990
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $72,100
- Employment: 11,190
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $72,250
- Employment: 9,910
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $73,410
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $73,790
- Employment: 3,140
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,940
- Employment: 1,670
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,690
- Employment: 4,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $78,540
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $78,560
- Employment: 690
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $79,000
- Employment: 780
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $82,430
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $83,710
- Employment: 790
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $85,430
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#4. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $85,590
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $89,090
- Employment: 1,160
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#2. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $90,270
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $105,070
- Employment: 1,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent



