Career Pathways Extension Menu

10 highest paying jobs without a college degree

Athletes/Sports Competitors

Athletes and sports competitors compete in athletic events. To be an athlete, one must usually have a high school diploma and some additional training. Training can take anywhere from a few months to a year with an experienced athlete.

This job requires knowledge of the game one is partaking in. Athletes can make an average annual salary of $79,830.

Licensing Examiners and Inspectors

Licensing Examiners evaluate/investigate liability under licenses and permits. People in this profession must have good speaking, judgment, listening and

social perceptiveness skills. They must also have well-knowledge in personal services, government and law, and clerical systems. The average salary of a Licensing Examiner is $63,760.

Petroleum Pump System Operators

Petroleum Pump System Operators control petroleum refining units and regulate the flow of oil into pipelines. They

open valves, determine the flow rate of oil, coordinate shutdowns and so on.

The average salary is $60,290 and they usually make over $20 an hour.

Non-destructive Testing Specialists

People in this job test the safety of structures and vessels using x-ray, ultrasound or fiber optic equipment.

Testing Specialists can make an annual salary of $59,900.

Subway/Street Car Operators

People in this field operate subways and trains to transport passengers. They also occasionally handle money transactions for the ride. They are sometimes called “streetcar conductors.”

Subway operators usually make $59,400 annually.

Rotary Drill Operators Rotary Drill Operators set up multiple

drills to get rid of oil and gases underground, sometimes for testing. They train crews, cap wells, and restore sites as well.

The average salary is $58,540.

First-Line Supervisors of Production

These people manage the activities of operating workers (inspectors, machine setters, fabricators, ect...). They enforce sanitation rules and keep track of employees attendance records.

First-line Supervisors make $56,890 yearly, and about $27 hourly.

Boilermaker

Boilermakers work with steam boiler tanks, assembling and

repairing them. On an everyday basis they use power tools, so one looking to do into this field should be conformable with such things.

The average annual salary of a boilermaker is $56,650.

Railroad Conductor

Railroad conductors organize the activities of the crew aboard the

train and control the switches that activate traffic signals. They need to have good critical thinking skills in order to avoid conflicts that can occur on the train.

Chemical Plant Operators

People in this profession operate chemical processes and machines using panel boards, as well as recording process conditions and instrument

readigns. There are 17,260 Basic Chemical Manufacturing Industries across the U.S..

The average salary of Chemical Plant Operators is $54,920.

Sources

"Top Ten Lists :: Highest Paying Jobs Without College." Top Ten Lists :: Highest Paying Jobs Without College. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. <http://www.myplan.com/careers/top-ten/highest-paying-without-college.php>.