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

#50. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $48,720
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#49. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $48,850
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- Employment: 102,390
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Traffic technicians
- Annual mean salary: $49,510
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,590
- Employment: 7,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $49,720
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
- Annual mean salary: $49,850
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 24,940
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#44. Audio and video technicians
- Annual mean salary: $49,870
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,260
- Employment: 73,960
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#43. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $50,020
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,250
- Employment: 30,450
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $50,120
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#41. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $50,500
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,840
- Employment: 147,800
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $50,980
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $51,490
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#38. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,560
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,610
- Employment: 81,170
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#37. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,910
- Employment: 940
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,180
- Employment: 339,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $51,990
- Employment: 1,190
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#35. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $52,070
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $52,690
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $52,770
- Employment: 2,120
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#32. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $53,370
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,730
- Employment: 25,570
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#31. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $53,560
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#30. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $53,890
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#29. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,980
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,020
- Employment: 1,350
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,390
- Employment: 4,940
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $55,410
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,540
- Employment: 87,120
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $55,450
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#24. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $56,800
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,330
- Employment: 400
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $57,910
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,090
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,290
- Employment: 780
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,510
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#17. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $61,680
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- Employment: 9,790
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $61,960
- Employment: 2,430
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $62,460
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- Employment: 2,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $63,760
- Employment: 1,380
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#12. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $68,280
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $68,320
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,680
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#9. Hazardous materials removal workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,470
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,740
- Employment: 44,240
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,530
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,740
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,490
- Employment: 790
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $82,750
- Employment: 400
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $83,650
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $85,360
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#2. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $87,490
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 20,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $109,250
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent


