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

#50. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,780
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48 (tie). Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,930
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#48 (tie). Riggers
- Annual mean salary: $52,930
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,420
- Employment: 23,000
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $53,880
- Employment: 630
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#46. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $54,120
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,730
- Employment: 25,570
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#45. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $54,140
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $54,400
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,360
- Employment: 8,210
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $54,430
- Employment: 1,790
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $54,710
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,840
- Employment: 147,800
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#41. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,790
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#40. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,330
- Employment: 34,460
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $55,340
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#38. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,500
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,520
- Employment: 22,560
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#37. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $55,820
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,120
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,710
- Employment: 28,840
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#35. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $56,140
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,810
- Employment: 52,400
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $56,460
- Employment: 1,770
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 387,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,390
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $58,230
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#31. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $58,580
- Employment: 940
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,060
- Employment: 162,330
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#30. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $59,010
- Employment: 2,220
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#29. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,770
- Employment: 7,390
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $61,760
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,310
- Employment: 128,190
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $62,380
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,500
- Employment: 3,770
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $63,520
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,450
- Employment: 72,890
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $63,830
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#23. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $64,460
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $64,480
- Employment: 680
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#21. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $65,460
- Employment: 660
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $66,470
- Employment: 1,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $67,500
- Employment: 1,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $68,780
- Employment: 4,660
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,420
- Employment: 2,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $70,600
- Employment: 2,830
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,240
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $76,920
- Employment: 1,740
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,780
- Employment: 410,050
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $77,310
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#12. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $77,810
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $79,670
- Employment: 5,600
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $79,980
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#9. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $81,340
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $81,700
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,640
- Employment: 400
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $83,040
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,430
- Employment: 1,480
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $86,600
- Employment: 540
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $88,250
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#2. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $90,480
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $117,900
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent


