From the moment they arrive 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, and coaches.
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 nondegree 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 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the top 30 highest paying jobs in Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS that don’t require a college degree.
#30. Millwrights
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $53,620
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,260
- Employment: 39,240
- Metros with highest average pay: Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580) — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)
#29. Sheet metal workers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $53,720
- #159 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay: Fairbanks, AK ($101,150) — Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930) — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)
#28. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $53,900
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- Employment: 367,200
- Metros with highest average pay: Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970) — Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160) — Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($67,140)
#27. Food service managers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $54,800
- #368 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay: Trenton, NJ ($91,320) — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860) — Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)
#26. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $54,990
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,250
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 397,600
- Metros with highest average pay: Fairbanks, AK ($72,500) — Anchorage, AK ($71,840) — Urban Honolulu, HI ($66,920)
#25. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $56,830
- #447 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,760
- Employment: 128,230
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740) — Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
#24. Electricians
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $57,010
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,770
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900) — San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090) — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $60,240
- #448 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280) — Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660) — Napa, CA ($92,620)
#22. Crane and tower operators
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $61,030
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 43,400
- Metros with highest average pay: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160) — Syracuse, NY ($103,350) — Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)
#21. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $62,150
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay: Anchorage, AK ($88,140) — Fairbanks, AK ($84,690) — Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)
#20. Boilermakers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $63,870
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,070
- Employment: 12,920
- Metros with highest average pay: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660) — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080) — Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)
#19. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $63,910
- #463 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $92,320
- Employment: 243,920
- Metros with highest average pay: Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860) — Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360) — New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $64,600
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,230
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,060
- Employment: 665,870
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820) — Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)
#17. Gas plant operators
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $64,970
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,970
- Employment: 15,110
- Metros with highest average pay: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600) — Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750) — Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)
#16. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $65,260
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470) — Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)
#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $65,730
- #335 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,060
- Employment: 123,940
- Metros with highest average pay: Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700) — Salinas, CA ($110,180) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,490)
#14. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $66,750
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,450
- Employment: 106,170
- Metros with highest average pay: Billings, MT ($88,420) — Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050) — Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($71,340)
#13. Detectives and criminal investigators
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $67,970
- #255 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,370
- Employment: 107,890
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210) — Anchorage, AK ($127,070) — Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
#12. Print binding and finishing workers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $68,840
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,060
- Employment: 40,810
- Metros with highest average pay: Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS ($68,840) — Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($50,000) — Spartanburg, SC ($46,850)
#11. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $69,020
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,960
- Employment: 278,140
- Metros with highest average pay: Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350) — Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200) — Salinas, CA ($90,800)
#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $69,030
- #280 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- Employment: 526,240
- Metros with highest average pay: Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830) — San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030) — San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)
#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $72,590
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 870
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,330
- Employment: 629,420
- Metros with highest average pay: Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170) — Lake Charles, LA ($97,910) — Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($90,410)
#8. Industrial machinery mechanics
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $74,200
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,780
- Employment: 373,090
- Metros with highest average pay: Fairbanks, AK ($85,900) — Lake Charles, LA ($85,360) — Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $76,070
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,230
- Employment: 50,780
- Metros with highest average pay: Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($87,890) — Fresno, CA ($86,230) — Fairbanks, AK ($85,640)
#6. Gambling managers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $77,820
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,190
- Employment: 3,660
- Metros with highest average pay: San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($106,830) — Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($104,140) — Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,210)
#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $81,310
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $87,640
- Employment: 22,490
- Metros with highest average pay: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($120,210) — Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($118,510) — Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($114,280)
#4. Power plant operators
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $81,420
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,740
- Employment: 28,960
- Metros with highest average pay: Fresno, CA ($129,650) — Wenatchee, WA ($123,180) — Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $85,480
- #331 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890) — Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170) — Trenton, NJ ($144,620)
#2. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $98,230
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,330
- Employment: 33,490
- Metros with highest average pay: San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($126,420) — Anchorage, AK ($118,620) — New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($110,750)
#1. Real estate brokers
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS
- Annual mean salary: $99,480
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,490
- Employment: 48,460
- Metros with highest average pay: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460) — Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810) — Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
Want more WLOX news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2022 WLOX. All rights reserved.
