Highest-paying jobs with no formal education requirements

By Stacker

Published April 28, 2023 12:21 AM

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Highest-paying jobs with no formal education requirements

Two people installing drywall on a construction project.

While advanced education typically leads to higher pay, there are some jobs with no formal education requirements that pay well.

The trade-offs for low educational barriers to a job are often low wages, few benefits, long hours, grueling work, dangerous or dreary conditions, and little room for career advancement. But some well-paying jobs that don’t have educational requirements are stepping stones to better positions. And others are careers unto themselves, offering more than a living wage.

The median wages for someone without a high school diploma are just over $600 per week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, those with a doctoral degree earn nearly $1,900 weekly and those with a bachelor’s earn about $1,300 weekly.

Stacker used 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics data to compile a list of 100 jobs without formal education requirements, ranked by median annual income. Jobs without annual wages available were not considered. Other experience and training requirements, as well as employment levels and projections, were included in the analysis but do not affect the rankings.

Of the jobs on the list, 22 paid more than the national median for all jobs, which is $45,760. Read on to see how jobs without education requirements pay in the U.S.

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Alena Veasey // Shutterstock

#100. Cooks, fast food

Two cooks in a kitchen.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $24,180
— 87.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 792,300
— Expected change by 2031: 69,100 jobs lost

Fast-food cooks not only prepare and cook menu items, but they ensure freshness, quality, and adherence to safety standards. Their employers include not only fast-food restaurants but also gas stations, amusement parks, movie theaters, and highway rest areas.

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#98. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers (tie)

Two kids give their tickets to a ticket taker.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $24,440
— 62.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 63,200
— Expected change by 2031: 25,600 jobs added

Job growth in this category has long been projected to limp along at a slower-than-average 3% as ever-expanding home media options keep more and more people away from theaters. Some have gone out of business, and the remainder will have to adapt to a new post-pandemic reality, leaving ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers with an uncertain future.

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#98. Shampooers (tie)

A woman getting her hair washed by a shampooer.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $24,440

— 67.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree

— Typical related experience required: None

— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training

– Number of jobs in 2021: 21,200

— Expected change by 2031: 2,200 jobs added

As entry-level workers in the cosmetology field, shampooers prep salon clients before they sit down for a haircut or styling session. Ten-year job growth is projected at a strong 11%.

Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock

#97. Amusement and recreation attendants

An amusement park attendant

– Median annual wage, 2021: $24,500

— 60.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree

— Typical related experience required: None

— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training

– Number of jobs in 2021: 286,500

— Expected change by 2031: 38,400 jobs added

Attendants who run rides, operate games, and keep parks like Disney and Six Flags attractions open are among this group—as are those who schedule commercial and public spaces for a wide range of activities. Though largely idled during the height of the pandemic, their work has come roaring back, and is expected to lead to a 13% increase in job openings from 2021 to 2031.

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#96. Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop

A hostess takes an order.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $24,600
— 70.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 347,700
— Expected change by 2031: 52,600 jobs added

Hosts and hostesses arrange seating, take reservations, welcome guests, get them settled, hand out menus, and introduce servers to customers. As in-person restaurant dining resumes, these jobs are coming back alongside other food-service jobs.

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#95. Fast food and counter workers

A counter worker gives food to a customer.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $25,100
— 78.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 3,195,600
— Expected change by 2031: 243,200 jobs added

Fast food and counter workers take diners’ orders, serve food and drinks, and in some cases run a cash register and take payments. Fast food restaurants still operating at limited capacity in the wake of the pandemic are prioritizing drive-throughs and takeout counters, rather than dine-in service, which puts counter workers in higher demand.

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#94. Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers

A lifeguard at a pool

– Median annual wage, 2021: $25,630
— 47.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 120,800
— Expected change by 2031: 19,900 jobs added

Recreational protective services employees like lifeguards and ski patrol workers monitor beaches, pools, and ski slopes; keep people within designated safe areas; enforce rules; provide assistance; and, when necessary, stage rescues and perform life-saving services. With fewer teens and college students working summer jobs, far more seniors have become lifeguards in recent years to stay active and earn money.

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#93. Waiters and waitresses

A waitress serves food at a restaurant.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $26,000
— 74.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,904,400
— Expected change by 2031: 197,000 jobs added

Traditional restaurant servers are the contact point between customers and the kitchen. Their job entails taking orders, communicating instructions about things like allergies to cooks, delivering food and drinks, accepting payments, and ensuring a good experience overall. Earning a living depends almost wholly on tips, which can make this profession very lucrative or very difficult.

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#92. Bartenders

A bartender washes a counter top.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $26,350
— 66.8% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 514,000
— Expected change by 2031: 92,000 jobs added

Bartenders mix, make, and serve drinks. They interact either directly with customers or indirectly through servers, often under pressure in a busy atmosphere. They have to learn and remember a wide variety of drink recipes and be knowledgeable about the many different kinds of beer, wine, liquor, cordials, and other adult beverages. The work is slanted toward personable people who are comfortable working while surrounded by crowds of people drinking alcohol.

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#91. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers

A cafeteria attendant preps some food.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $27,170
— 84.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 355,200
— Expected change by 2031: 59,900 jobs added

Barbacks and dining room and cafeteria attendants are responsible mostly for prepping, cleaning, serving food, and stocking supplies. They’re crucial to the operations of restaurants, bars, school cafeterias, and anywhere else food gets served. Job growth is projected at 9% from 2021 to 2031.

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#90. Cashiers

A cashier takes an order from a customer.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $27,260
— 80.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 3,371,600
— Expected change by 2031: 335,700 jobs lost

Cashiers broker the exchange of goods or services for money, oversee exchanges and returns, and provide customer service at physical retail locations. Their occupation is on the decline, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting fewer jobs over the coming decade. They’re being pressed by the tide of online shopping, and self-checkout automation is thinning their ranks.

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#89. Dishwashers

A dishwasher cleans a pot.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,130
— 92.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 398,200
— Expected change by 2031: 39,400 jobs added

Dishwashers clean, stock, and arrange dishes, cookware, and utensils, but they’re also often responsible for the hard work of keeping an entire commercial kitchen clean. These are among the restaurant and food-service jobs that took a heavy hit during the pandemic but are returning.

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#88. Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

A dry-cleaner worker looks at some shirts.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,350

— 91.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree

— Typical related experience required: None

— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training

– Number of jobs in 2021: 164,000

— Expected change by 2031: 19,500 jobs added

These service workers operate dry cleaning and washing machines, fold and sort clothing and garments, as well as household items like linens, carpets, and draperies. Almost every business that handles clothes, sheets, and towels is newly refocused on cleanliness in the wake of the pandemic, which may help explain why this job category is expected to grow by 12% from 2021 to 2031.

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#87. Cooks, short order

Short-order cook hands food to a customer.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,560
— 87.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 129,800
— Expected change by 2031: 1,300 jobs added

Short-order cooks bridge the gap between fast-food joints and full-service restaurants. They work in establishments that prepare food quickly, like diners and coffee shops. It’s a job requiring multi-tasking skills and concentration, as short-order cooks frequently work on multiple orders simultaneously.

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#86. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers

Cashier station in a casino

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,600
— 80.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 17,800
— Expected change by 2031: 400 jobs lost

Gambling change persons and booth cashiers work directly with the public at casinos and other gambling facilities. They exchange coins, tokens, and chips for patrons’ money; issue payoffs when patrons cash out; may oversee slot machines; and keep track of money in drawers. While in-person betting still accounts for the majority of U.S. gaming revenue, the rapid growth of online gambling and sports betting may reduce the need for gambling change persons in the future.

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#85. Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

Garment presser works on a jacket

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,680
— 93.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 27,900
— Expected change by 2031: 2,700 jobs lost

Mostly because of the twin forces of outsourcing and automation, the writing has been on the wall for the American textile and garment industry for many years. Once a powerful force in the manufacturing sector, the industry is now well into a generational decline, and the future doesn’t look promising. The job category is expected to take a hit and decline by nearly 10% between 2021 and 2031.

VGstockstudio // Shutterstock

#84. Food servers, nonrestaurant

Food server brings breakfast to a patient

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,730
— 80.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 247,500
— Expected change by 2031: 17,300 jobs added

Unlike the servers who take orders and bring food to sit-down customers at restaurants and bars, these servers deliver food to hospital rooms, hotel rooms, and similar spaces. They earn the most money in Hawaii, Washington D.C., New York, Alaska, and Arizona.

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#82. Food preparation workers (tie)

Food prep workers at a restaurant

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,780
— 84.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 817,400
— Expected change by 2031: 17,700 jobs added

Food preparation workers are employed to create on-demand offerings and pre-made food for other locations. This gives them a degree of job security, even during uncertain times. Those include not just restaurants and cafeterias, but hospitals, grocery stores, and nursing homes. The industry is expected to grow at a high rate of 8%, partly because high turnover keeps a steady flow of new positions open.

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#82. Maids and housekeeping cleaners (tie)

Housekeepers at a hotel make a bed

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,780
— 90.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,237,400
— Expected change by 2031: 116,400 jobs added

Maids and housekeeping cleaners clean commercial spaces like hospitals, resorts, hotels, private homes, apartments, boarding houses, and rental properties. As the nation emerges from the pandemic, people are still very interested in keeping their spaces especially clean.

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#81. Telemarketers

Telemarketers at an office

– Median annual wage, 2021: $28,910
— 69.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 115,700
— Expected change by 2031: 21,000 jobs lost

America’s much-maligned telemarketers provide a critical service to a sprawling range of industries. The overwhelming majority, however—nearly 100,000 out of roughly 164,000 in total—work in business support services. They’re facing a steep decline in job growth of -17% over 10 years, largely due to outsourcing.

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#79. Food preparation and serving related workers, all other (tie)

Food prep worker chops a vegetable

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,120
— 84.8% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 87,300
— Expected change by 2031: 12,300 jobs added

This category of food preparation and service worker includes any workers that do not fall into the categories of chefs, cooks, bartenders, fast food and counter workers, dining room attendants, dishwashers, and restaurant hosts.

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#79. Retail salespersons (tie)

A retail saleswoman at a clothing store

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,120
— 63.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 3,855,200
— Expected change by 2031: 7,800 jobs lost

Many retail salespeople work in clothing and accessories stores, where they help customers find what they’re looking for, but this category also includes people who work in furniture stores, bookstores, shoe stores, cosmetics stores, electronics stores, and many other retail industries. Their industry is on the decline, with 4% of current jobs expected to disappear between 2021-2031.

Martin Smith // Shutterstock

#78. Parking attendants

Parking attendant directs a customer

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,240
— 80.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 95,900
— Expected change by 2031: 5,400 jobs added

Parking attendants park vehicles for customers in a garage, parking lot, car dealership, or rental car facility. The number of parking attendant jobs is expected to grow by 5.6% from 2021 to 2031.

Nejron Photo // Shutterstock

#77. Cleaners of vehicles and equipment

Car cleaner washes a wheel

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,280
— 89.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 391,700
— Expected change by 2031: 22,700 jobs added

The more than 373,000 people who clean vehicles and equipment work mostly at automotive repair and maintenance businesses, auto dealerships, auto rental companies, and charter bus companies. They also serve businesses like those in the coal and animal slaughter industries.

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#76. Taxi drivers

Taxis waiting for customers

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,310
— 69.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 128,500
— Expected change by 2031: 36,600 jobs added

Taxi drivers charge a fare to transport customers, and this job category does not include chauffeurs and shuttle drivers. Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have made it more difficult for taxi drivers to earn a living, especially in New York City where the taxi industry is highly regulated with a high barrier to entry. Still, the industry is expected to grow in the coming years.

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#75. Automotive and watercraft service attendants

Gast station attendant smiles

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,330
— 85.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 113,600
— Expected change by 2031: 400 jobs lost

These service workers are mostly employed at places like gas stations, boat and car dealerships, bus and transit stations, and amusement and recreation facilities. They perform basic maintenance and perform tasks like changing the oil and other vital fluids, replacing accessories, and refueling vehicles and watercraft.

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#74. Motion picture projectionists

Projectionist at a theater

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,350
— 60.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 2,000
— Expected change by 2031: 800 jobs added

New technology is rendering the traditional job of a motion picture projectionist obsolete. There are fewer than 5,000 of them left in the entire country, and that number is shrinking. About 12% of the remaining projectionist jobs are expected to disappear over the coming decade.

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#73. Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers

Customers shopping from street vendors

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,390
— 65.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 54,700
— Expected change by 2031: 5,700 jobs lost

There was a time when knocks from door-to-door salespeople were commonplace, as was the sight of people lined up to buy newspapers from street vendors. The proliferation of easy-access online buying and digital media has changed all that. These kinds of jobs are expected to disappear at a rate of 10.4% by 2031.

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#70. Graders and sorters, agricultural products (tie)

Agricultural sorters look at potatoes

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,630
— 91.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 35,100
— Expected change by 2031: 300 jobs lost

Not to be confused with agricultural inspectors, sorters and graders examine agricultural products after they’ve been harvested for things like conditions, color, and size to determine if they’re fit for market, and if so, which market. Because of technological innovation in the industry and the rise of agricultural automation, job growth is declining.

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#70. Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse (tie)

Farmworkers harvest pumpkins

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,630
— 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 562,900
— Expected change by 2031: 12,800 jobs added

The vast majority of America’s nearly 1 million agricultural workers fall into this category of employment. They perform duties of all kinds, including seeding, planting, transplanting, pruning, maintaining, irrigating, treating, and harvesting agricultural products of every stripe. They’re also sometimes required to maintain and work on the grounds themselves, including fixing fences, staking trees, and clearing land.

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#70. Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals (tie)

Farmworker feeds a cow

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,630
— 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 228,500
— Expected change by 2031: 14,800 jobs lost

This category of agricultural workers tends to live animals, work that could include anything from benign activities like watering, grazing, and feeding to more gruesome duties like branding, debeaking, and castrating. Texas employs more than twice as many of these workers than California, the #2 state.

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#69. Sewing machine operators

A sewing machine worker sews a piece of clothing

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,690
— 86.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 127,000
— Expected change by 2031: 10,500 jobs lost

The ability to be precise and consistent during long periods of tedium is crucial to this line of work, which involves manufacturing, embellishing, decorating, joining, or reinforcing both garment and non-garment textiles, fabrics, and other materials. Like so many other categories in the garment and textile industry, sewing machine operators face a steep long-term downturn. Job growth is projected at -12% over the next decade.

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#68. Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers

A meat cutter at work

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,730
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 137,300
— Expected change by 2031: 1,800 jobs added

This occupation involves the difficult, dirty, and tedious work of using hand tools to trim cuts of meat, fish, and poultry before it heads to market. The animal slaughter and processing industry employs the largest number of them by far, but they’re most heavily concentrated in the seafood product, preparation, and packaging industry.

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#67. Bakers

A baker works on a cake

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,750
— 78.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 200,800
— Expected change by 2031: 16,300 jobs added

Bakers create the pastries, bread, pies, and other baked goods that people eat before, during, after, and in between meals. They might work in commercial or production bakeries, which mass-produce baked goods in high volume. Retail bakers also work in places like grocery stores, restaurants, and, of course, bakeries.

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#66. Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

Janitor mopping a floor

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,760
— 86.8% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 2,298,400
— Expected change by 2031: 85,500 jobs added

A huge plurality of janitors and non-maid/housekeeping cleaners—883,270 out of 2,156,270—service commercial buildings and dwellings. For context, the #2 workspace for janitors and cleaners, schools, employs 320,670 of them. Far behind those workplaces are real estate operations, post-secondary education institutions, and local governments, not including schools and hospitals.

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#65. Slaughterers and meat packers

A meat packer cutting meat

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,900
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 88,300
— Expected change by 2031: 1,600 jobs lost

Slaughterers and meat packers prepare large portions of meat, beyond routine meat cutting and trimming. Slaughterers and meat packers may be involved in specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting specific cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. The meatpacking industry came under scrutiny during the pandemic; meatpacking plants were an early source of COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S., and yet the plants remained open by presidential executive order because they serve as a critical link in the American food supply chain.

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#64. Cooks, institution and cafeteria

A student gets lunch at a cafeteria

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,910
— 87.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 410,100
— Expected change by 2031: 25,900 jobs added

These cooks are found behind the lines in places like schools, hospitals, businesses, and cafeterias. They generally produce a few pre-set menu items in large quantities. Job growth in the field is projected at 6% over 10 years.

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#63. Sewers, hand

Hand sewer works on a garment

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,930
— 74.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 8,500
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs lost

Like sewing machine operators, hand sewers provide stitching for a variety of manufactured items, but they do it by hand with a needle and thread. About 1% of the positions available in 2021 are expected to disappear by 2031.

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#62. Packers and packagers, hand

Cookies on trays waiting to be packaged

– Median annual wage, 2021: $29,940
— 88.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 602,300
— Expected change by 2031: 2,000 jobs lost

Even in the age of automation, mountains of products of all kinds and types are still packaged by hand. The workers who perform that task toil across a vast range of industries and sectors, but most positions are in employment services, food and beverage, warehousing and storage, merchant wholesaling, and animal and slaughterhouse processing.

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#61. Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs

Shuttle driver at the steering wheel

– Median annual wage, 2021: $30,000
— 73.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 189,500
— Expected change by 2031: 25,800 jobs added

Shuttle drivers and chauffeur transport passengers on a scheduled basis, unlike taxi drivers who pick up passengers as needed. The job category also includes non-emergency medical transporters and hearse drivers. The highest-paying industries for shuttle drivers and chauffeurs are securities and commodity contracts, performing arts companies, and legal services.

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#60. Cooks, restaurant

A restaurant cook prepares a dish

– Median annual wage, 2021: $30,010
— 87.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: Less than 5 years
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,255,600
— Expected change by 2031: 459,900 jobs added

Restaurant cooks prepare and cook food ordered by patrons, often on an individual basis, and sometimes order and stock supplies. They have to endure long hours in hot kitchens and prepare meals quickly and precisely under considerable pressure. The profession’s job growth is expected to rise 37% from 2021 to 2031.

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#59. Cutters and trimmers, hand

A trimmer using a hand tool

– Median annual wage, 2021: $30,230
— 92.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 8,200
— Expected change by 2031: 2,300 jobs lost

These laborers use both power tools and hand tools to cut materials like stone, carpet, rubber, glass, and fabric. This kind of finishing work in the manufacturing sector is drying up. There were already fewer than 8,500 positions in 2021, and by 2028, 2,300 more are expected to disappear for a net loss of 28%.

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#58. Motor vehicle operators, all other

Motor vehicle operator behind a steering wheel

– Median annual wage, 2021: $30,600
— 76.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 68,400
— Expected change by 2031: 5,700 jobs added

This job category includes all motor vehicle operators other than ambulance drivers, tractor-trailer and light truck drivers, bus drivers, shuttle drivers and chauffeurs, and taxi drivers. The industries with the highest levels of employment for these types of motor vehicle operators are automobile dealers, the federal executive branch, and automotive equipment rental and leasing.

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#57. Cooks, all other

A restaurant cook

– Median annual wage, 2021: $30,720
— 87.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 19,500
— Expected change by 2031: 1,900 jobs added

This job category includes cooks other than fast food, cafeteria, private household, restaurant, and short order cooks. The top-paying industries for these types of cooks are colleges, universities, and professional schools; merchant wholesalers of nondurable goods; and inland water transportation.

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#56. Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

Movers unload a couch

– Median annual wage, 2021: $31,230
— 85.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 2,806,500
— Expected change by 2031: 168,400 jobs added

This line of work represents a huge majority of hand laborers and material movers—they represent nearly 3 million of the 4.2 million jobs in the field. They move materials of all kinds to and from ships, trucks, loading docks, containers, and, most frequently, warehouses.

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#55. Counter and rental clerks

Counter clerk writes in a notebook

– Median annual wage, 2021: $31,330
— 70.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 391,400
— Expected change by 2031: 17,300 jobs added

Counter and rental clerks receive and process orders for not just rentals, but service and repairs. They’re in a different category than those who perform similar duties in motels, hotels, and resorts, or at transportation and travel ticket counters.

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#54. Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers

A tailor sketches alterations

– Median annual wage, 2021: $31,420
— 74.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 35,000
— Expected change by 2031: 400 jobs added

Unlike sewing machine operators and hand sewers, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers don’t work in large-scale manufacturing. Instead, they do custom work for individual customers, like those preparing for weddings or buying a new suit. Their field is holding steady, with a 1% job growth up to 2031.

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#53. Crossing guards and flaggers

A crossing guard helps a young student cross a street

– Median annual wage, 2021: $31,450
— 83.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 85,100
— Expected change by 2031: 7,800 jobs added

Crossing guards and flaggers direct vehicle and pedestrian traffic at intersections, schools, railroad crossings, and construction sites. The number of jobs is expected to grow by 9.2% from 2021 to 2031, and the highest levels of employment are in local government, other support services, and elementary and secondary schools.

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#52. Food processing workers, all other

Food processing workers at a plant

– Median annual wage, 2021: $31,890
— 89.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 49,300
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added

This job category includes workers other than bakers; butchers and other meat, poultry, and fish processing workers; food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders; food batchmakers; and food cooking machine operators and tenders. The top-paying industries for these types of food processing workers are grain and oilseed milling, beverage manufacturing, and dairy product manufacturing.

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#51. Demonstrators and product promoters

A product promoter at a store

– Median annual wage, 2021: $32,350
— 64.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 46,200
— Expected change by 2031: 1,100 jobs added

A more hands-on type of sales position, demonstrators and product promoters drum up interest in merchandise by showing how products work and what they can do in a physical space like a store, an exhibition, or a trade show. Demand for this work is growing at an about-average pace, as 10-year job growth is projected at 5%.

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#50. Agricultural workers, all other

Agricultural worker on a farm

– Median annual wage, 2021: $32,550
— 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 11,600
— Expected change by 2031: 600 jobs added

This job category includes agricultural workers other than agricultural inspectors, animal breeders, graders and sorters of agricultural products, agricultural equipment operators, farmworkers and laborers who grow crops, and farmworkers and laborers who raise animals. The top-paying industries for these types of agricultural workers are local government, beverage manufacturing, and the federal executive branch.

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#49. Helpers–painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons

Painters work on scaffolding.

– Median annual wage, 2021: $33,370
— 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 9,100
— Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added

These helpers perform duties that require less skill alongside painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons. The highest-paying industries for these types of jobs are automotive repair and maintenance, nonresidential building construction, and contractors doing foundation, structure, and building exterior work.

UfaBizPhoto // Shutterstock

#48. Parts salespersons

Salesperson looks at tires in auto parts store

– Median annual wage, 2021: $34,260
— 82.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 270,500
— Expected change by 2031: 9,700 jobs added

Parts salespersons work mostly in the automotive industry, taking orders and checking inventory in either auto dealerships or automotive parts stores. More than a quarter-million of them still earn a living in the field, but the occupation is shrinking due to automation.

THINK A // Shutterstock

#47. Building cleaning workers, all other

Cleaning worker polishes a floor

– Median annual wage, 2021: $34,350
— 86.8% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 19,100
— Expected change by 2031: 600 jobs added

This job category includes building cleaning workers other than janitors, maids, and housekeeping cleaners. The top-paying industries for these building cleaners are: elementary and secondary schools, facilities support services, and waste collection.

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#46. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

A groundskeeper mows some grass

– Median annual wage, 2021: $34,430
— 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,191,600
— Expected change by 2031: 56,900 jobs added

This line of work, which involves physically taxing labor and extended exposure to the elements, takes place anywhere that natural landscapes are altered for aesthetics. Landscapers and groundskeepers mow lawns and lay sod everywhere from suburban homes to athletic fields, and water, weed, plant, prune, treat, fertilize, and irrigate living landscapes everywhere from government buildings to amusement parks. They also build and maintain non-living features like masonry walls. Long-term job growth is projected at nearly 5%.

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#45. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

An operator of a coffee roasting machine

– Median annual wage, 2021: $35,480
— 79.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 21,100
— Expected change by 2031: 500 jobs added

Tobacco and certain consumables, like coffee, fall into a category separate from standard agriculture. This specialty occupation involves using machines to process those goods by roasting, baking, curing, or drying them before they’re ready for consumer purchase.

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#44. Grinding and polishing workers, hand

A worker polishes a piece of metal by hand

– Median annual wage, 2021: $35,670
— 85.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 16,100
— Expected change by 2031: 3,000 jobs lost

Like so many jobs that involve finishing work in the manufacturing sector, hand grinders and polishers are a dying breed. The field—which involves using hand tools or hand-held power tools to polish, buff, sand, or grind any number of materials and products—is expected to hemorrhage nearly one in five of its current jobs by 2031.

Robilad Co // Shutterstock

#43. Craft artists

Craft artist works on a piece of jewelry

– Median annual wage, 2021: $35,930
— 33.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 10,700
— Expected change by 2031: 500 jobs added

From weaving and painting to knitting and glassblowing, craft artists create original works of art for display, for sale, or both. Most are either self-employed, work for the government, or are employed by the movie and sound recording industries. There’s no specific educational requirement, but it does take talent—and lots of on-the-job learning.

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#42. Butchers and meat cutters

Butchers cutting meat

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,050
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 146,900
— Expected change by 2031: 4,900 jobs lost

Butchers and meat cutters receive and inspect roughly-processed meat, and then refine it into sellable cuts through cutting, slicing, deboning, and grinding. They might do this in bulk at grocery stores or butcher shops, or on a request-by-request basis for individual customers. They also wrap, weigh, sort, and display the meat products they work with.

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

#41. Material moving workers, all other

Packers load boxes into a van

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,150
— 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 25,000
— Expected change by 2031: 1,100 jobs added

This job category includes material moving workers other than conveyor operators; crane and tower operators; dredge operators; hoist and winch operators; industrial truck and tractor operators; laborers and material movers like machine feeders, packers, and stockers; pumping station operators; recyclable material collectors; and tank car, truck, and ship loaders. The top-paying industries for these material moving workers are natural gas distribution, remediation and other waste management services, and aerospace product and parts manufacturing.

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#39. Agricultural equipment operators (tie)

An agricultural worker drives a tractor

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,360
— 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 66,600
— Expected change by 2031: 8,000 jobs added

From balers and combines to trucks and tractors, agricultural equipment operators use heavy machinery for every application where they’re needed, including sowing, harvesting, irrigating, spraying, cleaning, drying, loading, and conveying. With projected job growth of 12% by 2031, they have the best prospects among all agricultural workers by far.

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#39. Helpers–roofers (tie)

Roofers installing tiles on a roof

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,360
— 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 7,000
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added

Helpers work alongside roofers to perform duties that require less skill, like using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning the work area and equipment. During the pandemic, with people spending more time at home and having more cash on hand thanks to stimulus payments, home remodeling reached unprecedented levels. Some cities invested their American Rescue Plan Act funds into home repair programs to help residents in need of roof replacements. Demand for roof helpers is expected to grow from 2021 to 2031.

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#38. Conveyor operators and tenders

Conveyor tenders look at boxes

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,420
— 94.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 34,600
— Expected change by 2031: 2,400 jobs added

These workers use conveyor belts—often regulating the conveyor’s speed depending on the application—to shuttle materials to and from things like vehicles, depots, stockpiles, and processing stations. Many work with raw materials for merchant wholesalers and farming operations, but most deal with documents for courier and express delivery services.

KarepaStock // Shutterstock

#37. Grounds maintenance workers, all other

Grounds maintenance worker mows a lawn

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,540
— 75.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 16,100
— Expected change by 2031: 700 jobs added

This job category includes grounds maintenance workers other than landscaping and groundskeeping workers, pesticide applicators, and tree trimmers and pruners. The top-paying industries for these grounds maintenance workers are the U.S. Postal Service; electric power generation, transmission, and distribution companies, and business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations.

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#35. Helpers–carpenters (tie)

Carpenter helpers discuss a project

– Median annual wage, 2021: $36,690
— 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 28,600
— Expected change by 2031: 1,000 jobs lost

Helpers assist carpenters with duties that require less skill, like using, supplying, or holding materials or tools and cleaning the work area and equipment. The top-paying industries for carpenter helpers are highway, street, and bridge construction; nonresidential building construction; and utility system construction.

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#35. Helpers, construction trades, all other (tie)

A construction helper on a job site

This job category includes helpers who perform duties requiring less skill in construction trades other than brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters; carpenters; electricians; painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masons; pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters; and roofers. The top-paying industries for these types of construction trades helpers are rental and leasing services, nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying, and management, scientific, and technical consulting services.

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#34. Machine feeders and offbearers

Machine feeder at work

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,010
— 83.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 61,200
— Expected change by 2031: 3,900 jobs added

As the name implies, machine feeders and offbearers feed materials into and/or remove materials from manufacturing equipment. They usually don’t operate the machines themselves—that’s higher-skilled, higher-paid work done by machine operators. Job growth is expected to go up 6% by 2031.

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#33. Painting, coating, and decorating workers

Painter decorates a piece of pottery

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,330
— 88.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 13,000
— Expected change by 2031: 400 jobs added

These workers put the finishing touches on things like books, furniture, pottery, glass, and toys. The field is not expected to grow many jobs in the coming decades, but it’s not expected to lose many, either.

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#31. Fence erectors (tie)

Fence erector makes a measurement

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,700
— 91.5% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 29,900
— Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs lost

As the title implies, fence erectors put up fences, install gates, and service and repair both. Fencing is hard, physical work that takes place outside, but those who do it enjoy a good degree of job security. Job growth is projected to remain relatively flat by 2031.

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#31. Rock splitters, quarry (tie)

Rock splitter uses heavy machinery at a quarry

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,700
— 86.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 4,500
— Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added

Quarry work is not for everyone. Few jobs are more physically taxing than the hard work of using jackhammers and wedges to cut and haul stone slabs from solid quarry mass while working outside and exposed to the elements.

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#30. Construction laborers

Construction worker nails a piece of wood

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,770
— 88.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,358,400
— Expected change by 2031: 71,900 jobs added

Like helpers, construction laborers are low-skilled workers who do things like clean workspaces, remove debris, and carry tools and equipment. However, they’re more likely to participate directly in projects through tasks like operating tools and even surveying equipment or directing traffic, in the case of roadside construction projects.

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#29. Helpers–brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters

Brickmasons at a job site

– Median annual wage, 2021: $37,870
— 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 18,600
— Expected change by 2031: 1,500 jobs lost

Helpers in this job category work alongside brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters to perform duties that require less skill. The top-paying industries for these helpers are nonresidential building construction, residential building construction, and foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors. Unlike other jobs related to residential construction that saw a boom in the wake of the pandemic, helpers for brick, stone, and tile work are expected to see fewer job opportunities in the coming years.

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#28. Industrial truck and tractor operators

Worker drives an industrial vehicle

– Median annual wage, 2021: $38,380
— 90.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 767,400
— Expected change by 2031: 54,200 jobs added

With the exception of logging equipment, these workers operate industrial vehicles of almost all kinds. They work mostly in warehouses, but they also move merchandise and materials at construction sites, factories, and storage yards.

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#27. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

Garbage truck driving on a street

– Median annual wage, 2021: $38,500
— 88.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 138,700
— Expected change by 2031: 7,500 jobs added

Garbage and recyclable collectors do the hard, dirty work of making the rounds on trash and recycling day. They physically empty containers into trucks—which they frequently have to jog to keep up with—on both residential and commercial routes. It usually takes place early in the morning regardless of the weather, and can be dangerous—it involves enormous compactors, hydraulic lifts, and clinging to the sides of moving vehicles.

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#26. Roustabouts, oil and gas

Roustabouts work at an oil drill

– Median annual wage, 2021: $38,920
— 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 37,300
— Expected change by 2031: 8,600 jobs added

Roustabouts do the hard work of assembling and repairing oil field equipment. As America’s energy industry continues to expand, reliable roustabouts are in demand. The field is projected to add new jobs at a very high rate of 23% over 10 years.

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#25. Floor sanders and finishers

A worker sands a wood floor

– Median annual wage, 2021: $39,140
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 6,000
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added

Floor sanders and finishers are among the last people to touch floor installation projects once they’re done. After carpenters install floors, these workers sand, stain, and seal them. The field is expected to see minimal growth in the coming decade.

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

#24. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall

Worker installing insulation in an attic

– Median annual wage, 2021: $39,880
— 91.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 33,700
— Expected change by 2031: 1,300 jobs added

These workers install insulation materials in gaps between ceiling joists and wall studs to prevent structural thermal transfer. The work often takes place in cramped spaces like attics and crawl spaces and often requires protective equipment.

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#23. Painters, construction and maintenance

Painters working on the side of a building

– Median annual wage, 2021: $45,590
— 88.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 365,300
— Expected change by 2031: 4,900 jobs added

These kinds of painters apply aesthetic and/or protective stains, paints, and other coatings to structures like bridges, machinery, equipment, and buildings. Painting and wall covering contractors employ the largest percentage of them.

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#22. Pipelayers

Pipeworker welding a large pipe

– Median annual wage, 2021: $45,980
— 89.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 34,600
— Expected change by 2031: 900 jobs lost

Pipelayers do the exhausting work of grading culverts and trenches, sealing joints, and laying and positioning pipe in environments like underground water mains, sewers, and storm drains. Like so many other entry-level trades jobs, they’re currently in demand. Long-term job growth is projected to decline by 2% by 2031.

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#21. Carpet installers

A worker installs carpet on stairs

– Median annual wage, 2021: $46,640
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 27,200
— Expected change by 2031: 2,500 jobs lost

Separate from floor layers, carpet installers put down padding and trim materials, often after removing old carpeting first. Then they install new carpeting from either blocks or rolls in commercial and residential structures.

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#20. Sailors and marine oilers

Worker in ship’s engine room

– Median annual wage, 2021: $46,720
— 75.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 27,600
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added

Also called deckhands, sailors maintain and operate virtually every part of a waterborne vessel except the components that deal with the engine and propulsion. That job is left to marine oilers, who work in a ship’s engine room doing things like lubricating gears and taking temperature and pressure readings.

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#19. Roofers

A roofer installs composite shingles

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,110
— 94.7% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 158,800
— Expected change by 2031: 2,300 jobs added

Like quarrying and fencing, the physically-demanding job of roofing is not for everyone. The work involves heavy lifting, climbing to sometimes-extreme heights, and long hours of bending and kneeling. Also, the busiest season for roof work is during the hot summer months. The projected job growth is 1% by 2031.

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#18. Derrick operators, oil and gas

Derrick operators at an oil drill

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,230
— 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 8,600
— Expected change by 2031: 1,400 jobs added

Arguably the ultimate in dirty work, oil and gas derrick operators operate the pumps that are used to circulate mud through drill holes. Like so many other entry-level energy jobs, the field is expanding dramatically. Job growth is projected at a very high 17% over 10 years.

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#17. Cement masons and concrete finishers

Concrete finisher on a job

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,340
— 94.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 187,700
— Expected change by 2031: 6,400 jobs lost

Cement masons pour, mix, level, and reinforce concrete on surfaces like steps and sidewalks. Concrete finishers put on the final touches, like coloring, texturing, painting, or adding exposed stones. However, there is projected to be fewer job opportunities in the coming years.

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#16. Paperhangers

Paperhangers working in a hallway

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,610
— 88.9% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 4,100
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs added

Most paperhangers work in one of two environments. Some put up decorative wallpaper in homes, offices, and other occupied structures. Others do commercial work installing posters or billboards.

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#15. Farm labor contractors

Farm laborers work in a field

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,770
— 27.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: Less than 5 years
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 1,200
— Expected change by 2031: 300 jobs added

These recruiters vet, organize, hire, and sometimes feed, house, and transport temporary and seasonal workers for agricultural labor. It pays well and the job growth for the position is projected to hit 22% by 2031.

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#14. Tile and stone setters

Tile setter makes a measurement

– Median annual wage, 2021: $47,810
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 56,700
— Expected change by 2031: 5,100 jobs added

Tile and stone setters apply tile and stone to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks. The number of jobs in this category is expected to grow 9% from 2021 to 2031, and the top-paying industries are foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; local government; and nonresidential building construction.

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#13. Drywall and ceiling tile installers

Workers hanging drywall

– Median annual wage, 2021: $48,040
— 96.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 111,600
— Expected change by 2031: 4,100 jobs added

Drywallers cut wallboard to specific measurements and secure the segments in place. Ceiling tile installers create suspended ceilings by hanging tiles directly to ceilings, furring strips, or suspension runners connected to wires.

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#12. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles

A tile layers works on a floor

– Median annual wage, 2021: $48,060
— 91.0% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 25,200
— Expected change by 2031: 2,400 jobs added

Building finishing contractors employ the largest percentage by far of people who do this kind of work. They install materials to flooring that deaden sound, absorb shock, or simply look nice.

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#11. Plasterers and stucco masons

Plasterer works on the side of a structure

– Median annual wage, 2021: $48,340
— 93.4% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 31,400
— Expected change by 2031: 1,300 jobs added

These employees work on both commercial and residential structures, and they also do both interior and exterior work. Not only do they install stucco, cement, and plaster, but also sometimes ornamental plaster.

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#10. Service unit operators, oil and gas

Oil and gas service worker at a job site

– Median annual wage, 2021: $48,410
— 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 35,700
— Expected change by 2031: 6,300 jobs added

Oil and gas service unit operators operate equipment that increases oil flow from wells or removes obstructions from drilling wells. Strong growth is projected for this line of work, with the number of jobs expected to increase by 17.5% from 2021 to 2031.

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#9. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders

A worker loads material on a truck

– Median annual wage, 2021: $49,390
— 87.1% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 13,500
— Expected change by 2031: 300 jobs lost

Most of what these laborers do is the work of moving materials like grain, sand, gravel, chemicals, and coal onto and off of ships, trucks, and tank cars. Other times, they might do miscellaneous industry-related work, like testing containers for leaks.

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#8. Hoist and winch operators

A worker directs a winch operator

– Median annual wage, 2021: $52,300
— 94.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 3,200
— Expected change by 2031: No change

The largest percentage of hoist and winch operators by far support the water transportation industry. They’re not crane and tower operators, but they do use massive power cable equipment to lift heavy loads.

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#7. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas

Drill operator holds a large drilling tool

– Median annual wage, 2021: $56,380
— 90.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 12,100
— Expected change by 2031: 2,100 jobs added

Rotary drill operators use different drills to extract gas and oil from underground. They also sometimes extract core samples during exploration for testing. Like many of their lower-level energy-industry colleagues, they’re riding an occupational wave. They earn significantly more than the average American, and 10-year job growth is projected at an excellent 18%.

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#6. Loading and moving machine operators, underground mining

A worker scoops up material in a mine

– Median annual wage, 2021: $57,900
— 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Short-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 4,500
— Expected change by 2031: 800 jobs lost

These loading and moving machine operators run underground mining machines that transport coal, ore, or rock. Jobs are expected to decline from 2021 to 2031. Coal mining is a significant source of employment for these jobs, and coal production in the U.S. has been trending downward over the past 15 years as companies shift to natural gas and renewable energy.

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#5. Continuous mining machine operators

Mining machine tool at work

– Median annual wage, 2021: $60,300
— 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 14,900
— Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs added

These miners operate the equipment that physically tears material like ore, coal, metal, stone, and rock directly from the mine face right where the work is advancing. The self-propelled machines they operate then load those materials onto shuttle cars or conveyors without stopping excavation work.

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#4. Tapers

Taper works in a room

– Median annual wage, 2021: $61,080
— 96.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 16,800
— Expected change by 2031: 100 jobs lost

Tapers prepare drywall before it’s painted, plastered, or papered—they’re sometimes called finishers. They make the best money by far in the drywall and ceiling tile installation segment of the construction industry, but their 10-year job growth projections are for minimal job losses.

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#3. Underground mining machine operators, all other

Workers operating heavy machinery in a mine

– Median annual wage, 2021: $61,260
— 88.3% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Moderate-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 3,200
— Expected change by 2031: 200 jobs lost

This job category includes underground mining machine operators other than continuous mining machine operators, mining roof bolters, and loading and moving machine operators. Like other mining jobs, the decline of U.S. coal production affects the job outlook, and the number of jobs is expected to drop by 5.2% between 2021 and 2031.

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#2. Artists and related workers, all other

Artist sketches plants in a notebook

– Median annual wage, 2021: $61,580
— 33.2% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term on-the-job training
– Number of jobs in 2021: 14,500
— Expected change by 2031: 700 jobs added

Despite the “starving artist” trope, it is possible to make a good living as an artist. Successful artists need a combination of talent and training plus the ability to connect with an audience that values their work. This job category includes artists other than art directors; craft artists; fine artists like painters, sculptors, and illustrators; and special effects artists and animators.

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#1. Athletes and sports competitors

Baseball player hits a ball

– Median annual wage, 2021: $77,300
— 36.6% of workers in this job don’t have a degree
— Typical related experience required: None
— Typical on-the-job training required: Long-term
– Number of jobs in 2021: 15,800
— Expected change by 2031: 5,700 jobs added

There are some jobs with low education barriers that people can just apply for—others, not so much. One of them is professional athletics, which doesn’t necessarily require a diploma but does require years of dedication and extraordinary physical gifts. And the vast majority of those who come to the table with both never find a way to make it pay.

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