Highest-paying jobs in Milwaukee that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee that don’t require a college degree.
You may also like: 100 Highest paying jobs in America
#50. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,110
- Employment: 109,000
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#49. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $59,210
- Employment: 590
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,450
- Employment: 72,890
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#48. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $59,300
- Employment: 1,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,330
- Employment: 196,120
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#47. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,540
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 103,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,840
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,490
- Employment: 123,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $60,910
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $60,990
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $61,210
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $61,450
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#41. Pipelayers
- Annual mean salary: $61,530
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,600
- Employment: 36,270
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#40. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,840
- Employment: 760
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $61,910
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $62,560
- Employment: 1,540
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#37. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,860
- Employment: 7,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $62,870
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#35. Tapers
- Annual mean salary: $63,680
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,550
- Employment: 17,970
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#34. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,820
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,860
- Employment: 7,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#32. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#31. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $64,000
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#30. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $64,090
- Employment: 1,160
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,420
- Employment: 342,040
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,740
- Employment: 6,580
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#28. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Annual mean salary: $64,860
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,610
- Employment: 16,290
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#27. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $66,750
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,920
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 18,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,020
- Employment: 2,410
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $69,530
- Employment: 3,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Annual mean salary: $69,860
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- Employment: 13,750
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#22. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $71,430
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $71,660
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,820
- Employment: 890
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- Employment: 131,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $73,920
- Employment: 13,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $74,140
- Employment: 2,250
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- Employment: 405,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#17. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,430
- Employment: 2,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $75,530
- Employment: 2,120
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $75,800
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,360
- Employment: 8,210
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $76,980
- Employment: 470
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $78,330
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,430
- Employment: 3,300
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $82,550
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#10. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,880
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $84,090
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $85,060
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $88,300
- Employment: 2,530
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $89,950
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#5. Athletes and sports competitors
- Annual mean salary: $90,320
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,140
- Employment: 11,330
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $91,940
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $96,930
- Employment: 2,330
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $104,080
- Employment: 350
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: $104,970
- Employment: 730
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent


