g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

Highest-paying jobs in Decatur 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 Decatur, AL that don’t require a college degree.

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Canva

#50. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,550
– #283 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

National
– Annual mean salary: $46,240
– Employment: 157,840
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
— Waco, TX ($63,080)
— Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)

PxHere

#49. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,810
– #193 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

National
– Annual mean salary: $45,730
– Employment: 61,070
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
— Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
— Longview, WA ($57,410)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

#48. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,890
– #454 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 250

National
– Annual mean salary: $47,990
– Employment: 629,780
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,810)
— Fairbanks, AK ($62,690)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,350)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#47. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $41,140
– #493 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

National
– Annual mean salary: $51,850
– Employment: 641,240
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Napa, CA ($76,890)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

#46. Sheet metal workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $41,480
– #334 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

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)

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Canva

#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $42,000
– #414 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270

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)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection // Wikimedia Commons

#44. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $42,170
– #302 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $46,650
– Employment: 194,330
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
— Decatur, IL ($60,740)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($58,620)

Unsplash

#43. Crane and tower operators

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $43,200
– #208 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90

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)

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#42. Carpenters

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $43,700
– #334 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

National
– Annual mean salary: $55,190
– Employment: 668,060
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)

ryanivy308 // Pixabay

#41. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,620
– #263 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

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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Pixabay

#40. Maintenance and repair workers, general

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $44,670
– #148 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 440

National
– Annual mean salary: $44,920
– Employment: 1,416,740
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
— Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

#39. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $45,390
– #364 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $53,270
– Employment: 116,380
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Madera, CA ($76,040)
— Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

#38. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $45,830
– #393 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 180

National
– Annual mean salary: $53,020
– Employment: 261,420
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

#37. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $46,210
– #162 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $48,570
– Employment: 151,340
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
— New Haven, CT ($63,790)

Pixabay

#36. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $46,300
– #238 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 400

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)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#35. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $46,640
– #205 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $49,560
– Employment: 149,290
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

#34. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $47,740
– #345 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

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)

Canva

#33. Automotive body and related repairers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $48,680
– #193 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $50,660
– Employment: 137,300
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
— Ames, IA ($68,340)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)

David Spates // Shutterstock

#32. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $49,200
– #284 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 250

National
– Annual mean salary: $54,690
– Employment: 356,960
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
— Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

#31. Millwrights

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $49,980
– #175 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

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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Dispossessed1974 // Wikimedia Commons

#30. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $50,060
– #7 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $40,830
– Employment: 134,880
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Mankato-North Mankato, MN ($54,510)
— Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($52,470)
— Lafayette, LA ($52,280)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

#29. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $50,550
– #240 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70

National
– Annual mean salary: $62,250
– Employment: 101,530
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
— Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
— Salinas, CA ($88,050)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

#28. Computer user support specialists

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $50,650
– #276 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

National
– Annual mean salary: $57,650
– Employment: 654,310
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

#27. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $51,180
– #200 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $52,320
– Employment: 121,150
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
— Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#26. Electricians

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $51,280
– #368 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 450

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)

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Pixabay

#25. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $51,620
– #107 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,330

National
– Annual mean salary: $50,340
– Employment: 1,903,420
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($62,600)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($62,290)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,540)

Daniel Tausis // Unsplash

#24. Firefighters

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $51,650
– #165 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 160

National
– Annual mean salary: $55,290
– Employment: 317,310
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($114,210)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($98,150)
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($97,470)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

#23. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $52,210
– #11 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $42,490
– Employment: 108,440
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($60,690)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,040)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,940)

welcomia // Shutterstock

#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $52,480
– #289 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

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)

London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images

#21. Machinists

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $52,890
– #74 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 370

National
– Annual mean salary: $49,020
– Employment: 333,220
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
— Monroe, MI ($66,560)

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GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $52,970
– #385 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 450

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)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

#19. Postal service mail carriers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $53,990
– #201 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

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)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

#18. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $54,080
– #309 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $70,030
– Employment: 234,680
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $54,430
– #260 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 300

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)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

#16. Food service managers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $56,630
– #317 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

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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Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images

#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $58,110
– #354 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 230

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)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

#14. Industrial machinery mechanics

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $58,550
– #192 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 750

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)

GordonJ86 // Wikimedia Commons

#13. Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $60,490
– #1 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

National
– Annual mean salary: $40,600
– Employment: 14,040
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Decatur, AL ($60,490)
— Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($47,150)
— Winston-Salem, NC ($45,210)

Stealth Communications // Wikimedia Commons

#12. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $61,230
– #147 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110

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)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

#11. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $65,240
– #80 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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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sculpies // Shutterstock

#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $66,700
– #304 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 440

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

#9. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $67,040
– #248 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)

Canva

#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $67,480
– #380 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

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)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

#7. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $67,810
– #9 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 370

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)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $72,100
– #77 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 740

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)

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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $73,750
– #336 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

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)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $77,290
– #75 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 380

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)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $78,410
– #185 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170

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)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#2. Insurance sales agents

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $81,000
– #26 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210

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)

Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Decatur, AL
– Annual mean salary: $112,260
– #37 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

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)