Highest-paying jobs in Washington, D.C. that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $66,720
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- Employment: 9,500
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#49. Firefighters
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 6,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,650
- Employment: 324,620
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#48. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 5,200
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- Employment: 120,900
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#47. Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $67,850
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,160
- Employment: 16,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#46. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Annual mean salary: $67,990
- Employment: 610
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,670
- Employment: 9,790
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#45. Photographers
- Annual mean salary: $68,080
- Employment: 870
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,440
- Employment: 50,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#44. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $68,660
- Employment: 1,980
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,960
- Employment: 111,660
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42 (tie). Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $68,720
- Employment: 2,060
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,660
- Employment: 129,740
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#42 (tie). Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $68,720
- Employment: 3,280
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,390
- Employment: 110,420
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $69,080
- Employment: 1,860
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,970
- Employment: 32,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#40. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $69,430
- Employment: 790
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 52,270
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#39. Rail car repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,490
- Employment: 940
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,810
- Employment: 25,930
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#38. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,510
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- Employment: 13,710
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
#36 (tie). First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,740
- Employment: 30,560
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,130
- Employment: 1,487,870
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#36 (tie). First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,740
- Employment: 4,370
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,220
- Employment: 631,100
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#35. Railroad conductors and yardmasters
- Annual mean salary: $70,190
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,350
- Employment: 45,710
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#34. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Annual mean salary: $70,440
- Employment: 910
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- Employment: 58,930
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#33. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $71,450
- Employment: 2,940
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,560
- Employment: 208,480
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#32. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $71,730
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,470
- Employment: 20,580
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#31. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $72,140
- Employment: 2,500
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,940
- Employment: 287,960
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#30. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $72,950
- Employment: 15,680
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- Employment: 542,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#29. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $72,980
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $88,910
- Employment: 10,770
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27 (tie). Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $74,320
- Employment: 3,520
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,820
- Employment: 235,470
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#27 (tie). Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $74,320
- Employment: 4,790
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- Employment: 168,140
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#26. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $74,890
- Employment: 1,880
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,110
- Employment: 133,310
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#25. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,810
- Employment: 9,170
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- Employment: 485,700
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#24. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,680
- Employment: 14,870
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,440
- Employment: 626,180
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#23. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $77,610
- Employment: 610
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,530
- Employment: 45,480
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#22. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $77,950
- Employment: 32,240
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,760
- Employment: 1,039,670
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#21. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $78,430
- Employment: 1,150
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- Employment: 28,350
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#20. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $78,710
- Employment: 12,330
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,344,530
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#19. Choreographers
- Annual mean salary: $78,900
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 4,630
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#18. Signal and track switch repairers
- Annual mean salary: $79,090
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,690
- Employment: 6,860
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#17. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $79,850
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $78,220
- Employment: 13,850
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#16. Locomotive engineers
- Annual mean salary: $81,330
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,570
- Employment: 35,520
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#15. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Annual mean salary: $81,700
- Employment: 450
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,280
- Employment: 22,650
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#14. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $81,930
- Employment: 1,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,450
- Employment: 42,730
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#13. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $82,710
- Employment: 680
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,570
- Employment: 38,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#12. Athletes and sports competitors
- Annual mean salary: $86,510
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,140
- Employment: 11,330
- Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential

#11. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $86,840
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- Employment: 46,430
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#10. Transit and railroad police
- Annual mean salary: $87,640
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,120
- Employment: 4,690
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#9. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $93,030
- Employment: 5,630
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,720
- Employment: 220,750
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#8. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $94,090
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,530
- Employment: 30,020
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#7. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
- Annual mean salary: $96,120
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,600
- Employment: 3,400
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $104,670
- Employment: 6,830
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,180
- Employment: 249,090
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#5. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $107,510
- Employment: 1,500
National
- Annual mean salary: $82,010
- Employment: 69,590
- Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award

#4. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $109,250
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $102,870
- Employment: 37,830
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $118,200
- Employment: 3,350
National
- Annual mean salary: $94,950
- Employment: 121,340
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

#2. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $121,070
- Employment: 4,890
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,030
- Employment: 105,620
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $121,350
- Employment: 2,040
National
- Annual mean salary: $103,320
- Employment: 132,040
- Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent

