Highest-paying jobs in Nashville that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Nashville 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 Nashville that don’t require a college degree.
You may also like: 100 Highest paying jobs in America
#50. Locksmiths and safe repairers
- Annual mean salary: $52,270
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,460
- Employment: 17,010
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#49. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $53,300
- Employment: 2,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 35,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $53,690
- Employment: 900
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#46. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $53,870
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- Employment: 9,790
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#45. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,890
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,190
- Employment: 47,990
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
- Annual mean salary: $53,940
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,890
- Employment: 24,940
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,010
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#42. Audio and video technicians
- Annual mean salary: $54,380
- Employment: 740
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,260
- Employment: 73,960
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,450
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $54,620
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#39. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,030
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 18,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#38. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,810
- Employment: 1,820
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,360
- Employment: 266,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#37. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $56,030
- Employment: 680
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,050
- Employment: 52,890
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#36. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $56,190
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#35. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $56,910
- Employment: 3,820
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $57,230
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $57,300
- Employment: 3,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $57,610
- Employment: 2,160
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#31. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $58,090
- Employment: 3,360
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $58,530
- Employment: 2,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#29. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $58,980
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $58,990
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#26. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,680
- Employment: 5,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $59,840
- Employment: 610
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,050
- Employment: 13,910
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,020
- Employment: 3,730
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $62,030
- Employment: 7,370
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Bailiffs
- Annual mean salary: $64,740
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,840
- Employment: 19,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $64,820
- Employment: 3,050
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $65,810
- Employment: 2,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $66,340
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#17. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $66,670
- Employment: 7,140
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,020
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#15. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $68,410
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $69,400
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#13. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $73,290
- Employment: 1,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#12. Sound engineering technicians
- Annual mean salary: $73,550
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,090
- Employment: 12,890
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#11. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,970
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $74,370
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,420
- Employment: 33,370
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $76,140
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,300
- Employment: 510
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $84,190
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#6. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $86,530
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $87,580
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $89,860
- Employment: 2,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,710
- Employment: 1,190
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. Continuous mining machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $102,690
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,530
- Employment: 14,630
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $107,720
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent



