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

#50. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $74,880
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,120
- Employment: 26,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#49. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Annual mean salary: $75,020
- Employment: 2,690
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,330
- Employment: 196,120
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#48. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $75,450
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,830
- Employment: 40,370
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $75,590
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#46. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $75,940
- Employment: 10,420
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,370
- Employment: 688,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#45. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $76,080
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 60,650
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $76,160
- Employment: 7,640
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#43. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $76,260
- Employment: 4,700
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- Employment: 405,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $76,280
- Employment: 12,710
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $76,800
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,260
- Employment: 8,470
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $77,550
- Employment: 1,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#38. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $77,560
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#37. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Annual mean salary: $78,710
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,970
- Employment: 6,440
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#36. Flight attendants
- Annual mean salary: $78,840
- Employment: 4,170
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,230
- Employment: 120,840
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $78,960
- Employment: 22,680
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $79,080
- Employment: 3,530
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#33. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $79,170
- Employment: 950
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $79,890
- Employment: 1,670
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#31. Signal and track switch repairers
- Annual mean salary: $79,930
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,690
- Employment: 6,860
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $80,220
- Employment: 5,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,800
- Employment: 442,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#29. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $81,740
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,050
- Employment: 47,320
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#28. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $83,180
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $83,260
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Model makers, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $83,350
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,420
- Employment: 4,300
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#25. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $83,400
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $83,530
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,050
- Employment: 14,410
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $84,610
- Employment: 4,430
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 324,620
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $85,490
- Employment: 960
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#21. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $86,050
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- Employment: 9,790
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#20. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,550
- Employment: 1,020
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,170
- Employment: 76,570
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $88,400
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,370
- Employment: 33,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#18. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Annual mean salary: $90,760
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,990
- Employment: 14,530
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#17. Locomotive engineers
- Annual mean salary: $91,470
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,570
- Employment: 35,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Ship engineers
- Annual mean salary: $91,760
- Employment: 1,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,540
- Employment: 8,410
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#15. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $92,420
- Employment: 9,850
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#14. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $94,280
- Employment: 3,810
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $96,430
- Employment: 140
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: $99,540
- Employment: 1,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#11. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $99,840
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#10. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $100,620
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,730
- Employment: 25,570
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#9. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Annual mean salary: $100,800
- Employment: 1,800
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,420
- Employment: 33,370
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#8. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $100,960
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $109,890
- Employment: 1,500
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $109,950
- Employment: 700
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $111,690
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#4. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $115,510
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#3. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $121,450
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $122,690
- Employment: 1,220
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: $123,920
- Employment: 1,870
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent



