BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — From the moment they first set foot on campus, today’s high-school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students’ future careers, it’s not necessary for all fields.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, these are the 50 highest-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree.
All professions that listed a high-school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary non-degree 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 2020 annual mean wage. Job descriptions are from O*NET.
#50. Real estate sales agents
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $58,980
– #79 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270
National
– Annual mean salary: $62,990
– Employment: 168,740
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Salinas, CA ($106,280)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($101,300)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($98,580)
– Job description: Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
#49. Photographers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $59,100
– #13 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60
National
– Annual mean salary: $50,290
– Employment: 41,600
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Logan, UT-ID ($75,100)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($74,620)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($72,690)
– Job description: Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject’s appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.
#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $59,130
– #26 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 740
National
– Annual mean salary: $52,000
– Employment: 362,090
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($69,410)
— Pine Bluff, AR ($68,850)
— Portsmouth, NH-ME ($66,920)
– Job description: Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule. Duties include reviewing and distributing production, work, and shipment schedules; conferring with department supervisors to determine progress of work and completion dates; and compiling reports on progress of work, inventory levels, costs, and production problems.https://c525dde4ddb7347b1fd89823fe2a02f2.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
#47. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $59,400
– #22 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40
National
– Annual mean salary: $52,950
– Employment: 54,960
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Salem, OR ($73,530)
— Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($71,970)
— Greeley, CO ($71,560)
– Job description: Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.
#46. Advertising sales agents
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $59,570
– #83 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60
National
– Annual mean salary: $68,040
– Employment: 110,040
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($112,850)
— Winston-Salem, NC ($104,930)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($92,370)
– Job description: Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
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#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $60,180
– #102 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 930
National
– Annual mean salary: $55,280
– Employment: 402,870
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($96,440)
— Barnstable Town, MA ($93,620)
— Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($93,320)
– Job description: Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.
#44. Hazardous materials removal workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $61,080
– #10 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100
National
– Annual mean salary: $49,170
– Employment: 44,010
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Knoxville, TN ($79,260)
— Salinas, CA ($72,170)
— Kennewick-Richland, WA ($70,300)
– Job description: Identify, remove, pack, transport, or dispose of hazardous materials, including asbestos, lead-based paint, waste oil, fuel, transmission fluid, radioactive materials, or contaminated soil. Specialized training and certification in hazardous materials handling or a confined entry permit are generally required. May operate earth-moving equipment or trucks.
#43. Earth drillers, except oil and gas; and explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $61,330
– #10 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120
National
– Annual mean salary: $51,040
– Employment: 22,540
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Lafayette, LA ($98,100)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,160)
— Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ($69,090)
– Job description: Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
#42. Locksmiths and safe repairers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $61,770
– #7 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30
National
– Annual mean salary: $46,240
– Employment: 16,180
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($69,220)
— Fresno, CA ($67,890)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($66,500)
– Job description: Repair and open locks, make keys, change locks and safe combinations, and install and repair safes.https://c525dde4ddb7347b1fd89823fe2a02f2.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
#41. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $62,530
– #20 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100
National
– Annual mean salary: $54,040
– Employment: 103,730
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Anchorage, AK ($85,110)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($77,260)
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($76,940)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.
#40. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $63,460
– #145 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,760
National
– Annual mean salary: $70,490
– Employment: 977,070
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($115,620)
— Lawrence, KS ($97,910)
— Boulder, CO ($94,870)
– Job description: Sell services to individuals or businesses. May describe options or resolve client problems.
#39. Industrial machinery mechanics
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $63,630
– #50 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,020
National
– Annual mean salary: $57,350
– Employment: 385,980
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($84,180)
— San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($84,150)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($77,580)
– Job description: Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
#38. Crane and tower operators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $64,380
– #41 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 140
National
– Annual mean salary: $64,010
– Employment: 44,060
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($89,250)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($84,670)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($84,410)
– Job description: Operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $64,800
– #53 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 550
National
– Annual mean salary: $65,230
– Employment: 503,390
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,040)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($89,100)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,180)
– Job description: Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.
#36. Sheet metal workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $66,230
– #32 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 160
National
– Annual mean salary: $55,320
– Employment: 128,220
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Fairbanks, AK ($132,900)
— Kankakee, IL ($91,140)
— Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($87,030)
– Job description: Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.
#35. Structural iron and steel workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,010
– #35 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60
National
– Annual mean salary: $58,650
– Employment: 71,490
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Trenton, NJ ($91,360)
— Rockford, IL ($90,160)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,740)
– Job description: Raise, place, and unite iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or structural frameworks. May erect metal storage tanks and assemble prefabricated metal buildings.
#34. Private detectives and investigators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,080
– #11 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80
National
– Annual mean salary: $60,100
– Employment: 32,200
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($88,550)
— Fresno, CA ($79,220)
— Anchorage, AK ($77,960)
– Job description: Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private establishment.
#33. Electricians
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,310
– #67 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,290
National
– Annual mean salary: $61,550
– Employment: 656,510
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,680)
— Trenton, NJ ($90,210)
— Kankakee, IL ($88,530)
– Job description: Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.
#32. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,410
– #54 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,310
National
– Annual mean salary: $61,980
– Employment: 190,510
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Elmira, NY ($94,280)
— Springfield, MA-CT ($92,920)
— Fairbanks, AK ($87,940)
– Job description: Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers’ property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.
#31. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,510
– #63 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 500
National
– Annual mean salary: $69,040
– Employment: 128,300
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX ($95,680)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($89,710)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($87,830)
– Job description: Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
#30. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $67,960
– #7 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 750
National
– Annual mean salary: $58,940
– Employment: 15,650
– Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Anchorage, AK ($94,610)
— Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($87,290)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($81,210)
– Job description: Set up or operate a variety of drills to remove underground oil and gas, or remove core samples for testing during oil and gas exploration.
#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $68,110
– #30 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 210
National
– Annual mean salary: $51,890
– Employment: 119,380
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($99,130)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($89,730)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,080)
– Job description: Operate or control an entire process or system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
#28. Transportation inspectors
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $69,560
– #60 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30
National
– Annual mean salary: $81,320
– Employment: 27,360
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Portland-South Portland, ME ($119,270)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($117,900)
— Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($104,370)
– Job description: Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified.
#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $69,570
– #130 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 320
National
– Annual mean salary: $70,650
– Employment: 287,150
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($97,980)
— Waterbury, CT ($92,160)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($88,750)
– Job description: Review settled claims to determine that payments and settlements are made in accordance with company practices and procedures. Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation. May also settle insurance claims.
#26. Surveying and mapping technicians
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $69,710
– #9 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40
National
– Annual mean salary: $49,770
– Employment: 53,370
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($86,090)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($82,010)
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($79,790)
– Job description: Perform surveying and mapping duties, usually under the direction of an engineer, surveyor, cartographer, or photogrammetrist, to obtain data used for construction, mapmaking, boundary location, mining, or other purposes. May calculate mapmaking information and create maps from source data, such as surveying notes, aerial photography, satellite data, or other maps to show topographical features, political boundaries, and other features. May verify accuracy and completeness of maps.
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#25. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $69,890
– #255 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 270
National
– Annual mean salary: $90,120
– Employment: 240,290
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN ($124,150)
— Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($122,460)
— Leominster-Gardner, MA ($119,130)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of sales workers other than retail sales workers. May perform duties such as budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.
#24. Psychiatric technicians
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $69,960
– #2 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110
National
– Annual mean salary: $38,080
– Employment: 85,330
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Stockton-Lodi, CA ($69,970)
— Bakersfield, CA ($69,960)
— Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($69,140)
– Job description: Care for individuals with mental or emotional conditions or disabilities, following the instructions of physicians or other health practitioners. Monitor patients’ physical and emotional well-being and report to medical staff. May participate in rehabilitation and treatment programs, help with personal hygiene, and administer oral or injectable medications.
#23. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $71,750
– #29 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110
National
– Annual mean salary: $63,350
– Employment: 55,200
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($96,510)
— Jackson, TN ($92,200)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,640)
– Job description: Repair, test, adjust, or install electronic equipment, such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas.
#22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $72,270
– #120 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 380
National
– Annual mean salary: $74,410
– Employment: 114,930
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($114,820)
— Redding, CA ($112,850)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($111,810)
– Job description: Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.
#21. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $73,740
– #19 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110
National
– Annual mean salary: $68,170
– Employment: 29,550
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,910)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,970)
— Springfield, IL ($102,660)
– Job description: Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.
#20. Fence erectors
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $75,170
– #1 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available
National
– Annual mean salary: $40,120
– Employment: 27,010
– Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bakersfield, CA ($75,170)
— Columbus, OH ($72,360)
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($68,570)
– Job description: Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $75,840
– #62 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 310
National
– Annual mean salary: $73,210
– Employment: 219,800
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($117,770)
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($113,800)
— Boulder, CO ($107,230)
– Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate the selling, buying, leasing, or governance activities of commercial, industrial, or residential real estate properties. Includes managers of homeowner and condominium associations, rented or leased housing units, buildings, or land (including rights-of-way).
#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $76,090
– #37 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 660
National
– Annual mean salary: $66,800
– Employment: 599,900
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Baton Rouge, LA ($101,930)
— Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($100,590)
— Longview, WA ($99,590)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of production and operating workers, such as inspectors, precision workers, machine setters and operators, assemblers, fabricators, and plant and system operators. Excludes team or work leaders.
#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $77,400
– #60 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,410
National
– Annual mean salary: $73,500
– Employment: 1,278,670
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Danbury, CT ($112,810)
— Napa, CA ($101,850)
— Santa Fe, NM ($93,680)
– Job description: Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
#16. Construction and building inspectors
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $77,570
– #22 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170
National
– Annual mean salary: $66,470
– Employment: 113,770
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,920)
— Salinas, CA ($98,360)
– Job description: Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations. Inspections may be general in nature or may be limited to a specific area, such as electrical systems or plumbing.
#15. Lodging managers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $77,870
– #22 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: data not available
National
– Annual mean salary: $65,270
– Employment: 31,790
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY ($108,990)
— Reno, NV ($106,060)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,560)
– Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization or department that provides lodging and other accommodations.
#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $80,260
– #48 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 1,800
National
– Annual mean salary: $72,990
– Employment: 614,080
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,870)
— Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($103,930)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($100,620)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
#13. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $81,550
– #10 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 110
National
– Annual mean salary: $62,400
– Employment: 50,660
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Santa Rosa, CA ($95,240)
— Madison, WI ($90,020)
— Salinas, CA ($87,650)
– Job description: Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.
#12. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $81,710
– #12 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 340
National
– Annual mean salary: $77,610
– Employment: 40,480
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($96,510)
— Billings, MT ($95,130)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,800)
– Job description: Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units. May specialize in controlling manifold and pumping systems, gauging or testing oil in storage tanks, or regulating the flow of oil into pipelines.
#11. Correctional officers and jailers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $85,850
– #1 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 3,910
National
– Annual mean salary: $52,340
– Employment: 405,870
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Bakersfield, CA ($85,850)
— Stockton-Lodi, CA ($84,790)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,050)
– Job description: Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institutions in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, prison, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.
#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $86,850
– #9 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 960
National
– Annual mean salary: $73,100
– Employment: 475,000
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($95,680)
— Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,140)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,810)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of mechanics, installers, and repairers. May also advise customers on recommended services. Excludes team or work leaders.
#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $90,490
– #209 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 430
National
– Annual mean salary: $105,100
– Employment: 132,210
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($163,580)
— Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($137,680)
— Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($136,410)
– Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations. Includes logistics managers.
#8. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $90,850
– #6 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50
National
– Annual mean salary: $66,710
– Employment: 13,880
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,300)
— Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($109,600)
— Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($92,150)
– Job description: Use verbatim methods and equipment to capture, store, retrieve, and transcribe pretrial and trial proceedings or other information. Includes stenocaptioners who operate computerized stenographic captioning equipment to provide captions of live or prerecorded broadcasts for hearing-impaired viewers.
#7. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $97,720
– #12 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 90
National
– Annual mean salary: $76,810
– Employment: 5,670
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($128,170)
— Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($118,710)
— Napa, CA ($116,750)
– Job description: Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, and supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-to-day activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, and financial and marketing activities.
#6. Power plant operators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $98,760
– #8 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 170
National
– Annual mean salary: $81,890
– Employment: 32,960
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,420)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,830)
— Redding, CA ($106,030)
– Job description: Control, operate, or maintain machinery to generate electric power. Includes auxiliary equipment operators.
#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $106,850
– #19 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 150
National
– Annual mean salary: $89,300
– Employment: 105,980
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($127,380)
— Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($127,090)
— Anchorage, AK ($126,530)
– Job description: Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
#4. Real estate brokers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $116,010
– #4 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50
National
– Annual mean salary: $81,630
– Employment: 44,610
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($134,770)
— Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ ($129,820)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($116,510)
– Job description: Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $131,470
– #20 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 70
National
– Annual mean salary: $97,180
– Employment: 122,310
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($200,090)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($182,810)
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($182,720)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
#2. Commercial pilots
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $133,160
– #10 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100
National
– Annual mean salary: $110,830
– Employment: 37,120
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Sioux City, IA-NE-SD ($153,990)
— Medford, OR ($152,730)
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($152,290)
– Job description: Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.
#1. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Bakersfield, CA
– Annual mean salary: $152,270
– #6 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60
National
– Annual mean salary: $83,170
– Employment: 69,000
– Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($187,890)
— Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($181,340)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($176,050)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
