Highest-paying jobs in Louisville that don’t require a college degree
Published 12:43 pm Monday, June 13, 2022
Prath // Shutterstock
Highest-paying jobs in Louisville that don’t require a college degree
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 highest paying jobs in Louisville, KY-IN that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Construction and building inspectors
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,500
– #314 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 610
National
– Annual mean salary: $68,480
– Employment: 117,830
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New Haven, CT ($121,510)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)
Unsplash
#49. Tax preparers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,710
– #39 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 310
National
– Annual mean salary: $51,080
– Employment: 83,190
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
rlat // Shutterstock
#48. Postal service clerks
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $54,930
– #76 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 250
National
– Annual mean salary: $53,210
– Employment: 79,320
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
— Florence, SC ($59,360)
— Monroe, MI ($59,320)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
#47. Postal service mail carriers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,010
– #70 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,310
National
– Annual mean salary: $54,370
– Employment: 335,540
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Modesto, CA ($57,160)
— Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
#46. Food service managers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,360
– #356 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 670
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)
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Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
#45. Gas plant operators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,500
– #64 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50
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)
Unsplash
#44. Structural iron and steel workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,570
– #92 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 320
National
– Annual mean salary: $61,270
– Employment: 68,620
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($83,340)
welcomia // Shutterstock
#43. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,610
– #175 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 690
National
– Annual mean salary: $57,280
– Employment: 145,230
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)
John Leung // Shutterstock
#42. Brickmasons and blockmasons
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $55,680
– #107 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 280
National
– Annual mean salary: $61,430
– Employment: 55,950
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
— Decatur, IL ($92,670)
— Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)
Pxhere
#41. Maintenance workers, machinery
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $56,120
– #73 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500
National
– Annual mean salary: $53,570
– Employment: 57,660
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Savannah, GA ($76,260)
— Cedar Rapids, IA ($70,980)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,980)
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#40. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $56,570
– #176 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,450
National
– Annual mean salary: $56,280
– Employment: 404,820
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)
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#39. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $56,870
– #100 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100
National
– Annual mean salary: $62,360
– Employment: 25,800
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,600)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($92,910)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,660)
Unsplash
#38. Crane and tower operators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,190
– #108 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150
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)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
#37. Community health workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,220
– #11 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,370
National
– Annual mean salary: $47,780
– Employment: 61,010
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
— Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
#36. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,230
– #254 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,870
National
– Annual mean salary: $66,870
– Employment: 466,910
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)
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#35. Pipelayers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,440
– #26 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 190
National
– Annual mean salary: $48,510
– Employment: 33,330
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,310)
— Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,510)
— Madison, WI ($70,810)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
#34. Occupational health and safety technicians
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $57,830
– #64 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70
National
– Annual mean salary: $57,560
– Employment: 21,750
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
— Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
— Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#33. Real estate brokers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,040
– #81 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available
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)
Hulton Archive // Getty Images
#32. Electricians
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,080
– #228 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,540
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)
ryanivy308 // Pixabay
#31. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,350
– #183 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 430
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)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
#30. Industrial machinery mechanics
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $58,830
– #179 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,490
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)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
#29. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,230
– #30 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 980
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)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,390
– #190 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,990
National
– Annual mean salary: $63,350
– Employment: 417,620
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)
Stealth Communications // Wikimedia Commons
#27. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,720
– #187 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500
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)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
#26. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $59,970
– #162 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210
National
– Annual mean salary: $67,310
– Employment: 44,870
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
— Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)
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#25. Tool and die makers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $61,210
– #36 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 450
National
– Annual mean salary: $56,150
– Employment: 63,630
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,920)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($72,510)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($71,910)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
#24. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $61,600
– #74 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40
National
– Annual mean salary: $70,510
– Employment: 29,820
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($99,740)
U.S. Air Force
#23. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $62,340
– #262 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 330
National
– Annual mean salary: $83,270
– Employment: 80,890
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($171,060)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,740)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,860)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#22. Insurance sales agents
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $62,990
– #203 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,890
National
– Annual mean salary: $69,340
– Employment: 422,600
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
— Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
#21. Millwrights
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $63,340
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 330
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)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $64,270
– #76 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 6,560
National
– Annual mean salary: $63,380
– Employment: 1,443,630
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)
Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images
#19. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $64,870
– #165 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 4,390
National
– Annual mean salary: $71,110
– Employment: 1,026,390
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
— Boulder, CO ($101,630)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $65,230
– #255 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,710
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)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $66,100
– #261 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,810
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)
Canva
#16. Fire inspectors and investigators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $66,260
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50
National
– Annual mean salary: $69,680
– Employment: 14,600
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Dayton, OH ($116,740)
— Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA ($112,040)
— Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($107,220)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,230
– #272 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 630
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)
Canva
#14. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,300
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available
National
– Annual mean salary: $91,320
– Employment: 22,510
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
— Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)
sculpies // Shutterstock
#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,440
– #208 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,040
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)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $70,490
– #156 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 6,690
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)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $75,540
– #107 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 2,530
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $77,030
– #299 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 400
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)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
#9. Power plant operators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $79,730
– #96 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)
Pandu Agus Wismoyo // Unsplash
#8. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $80,150
– #13 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,060
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)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
#7. Postmasters and mail superintendents
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $84,690
– #39 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40
National
– Annual mean salary: $81,820
– Employment: 12,750
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
— Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
— San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $84,880
– #161 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,220
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)
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Prath // Shutterstock
#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $90,200
– #85 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170
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)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
#4. Power distributors and dispatchers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $93,480
– #25 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80
National
– Annual mean salary: $95,520
– Employment: 9,660
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
— Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
— Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
#3. Commercial pilots
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $98,530
– #110 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150
National
– Annual mean salary: $115,080
– Employment: 42,770
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
— Savannah, GA ($177,450)
Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $100,410
– #149 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 930
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)
Canva
#1. Transportation inspectors
Louisville, KY-IN
– Annual mean salary: $101,580
– #8 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120
National
– Annual mean salary: $77,620
– Employment: 25,070
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
— Anchorage, AK ($108,140)
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