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A college education is still considered the best path to a successful and high-paying career, however, it isn’t the only path.
Rising tuition costs have led a lot of people to consider alternatives to a traditional four-year degree, especially if it means avoiding years of student loan payments.
Blue-collar jobs in industries such as construction, maintenance, warehousing and technical installation can provide some pretty solid salaries, as well as an opportunity for workers to develop specialized skills.
Read more: Top 50 companies hiring for part-time, work-at-home jobs
According to MarketWatch, workers in traditionally blue-collar jobs can end up making over $100,000 a year. While most of the jobs with potential six-figure salaries require some type of special training, getting those necessary skills will cost you less than a bachelor’s degree from a traditional college or university.
In fact, The Wall Street Journal interviewed a 24-year-old welder who now earns $140,000 a year after attending a technical college in Waco, Texas. On top of that, the folks at MarketWatch found that workers in these five other blue-collar jobs also have the potential to make over $100,000 a year:
There are also a lot of other traditionally blue-collar jobs that may not offer six-figure salaries, but workers can still bring home a pretty solid annual income.
Job site CareerTrends put together a list of the top-paying blue-collar jobs in the U.S. And while some can provide six-figure salaries, only occupations with at least 10,000 full-time employees were included on this particular list. Check it out below.
Read more: New study reveals the top 10 jobs that don’t require a 4-year degree
20. Production Supervisors: $52,271
19. Surveyors: $52,322
18. Avionics Technicians: $52,671
17. Electrical Engineering Technologists: $54,067
16. Subway Operators: $54,471
15. Petroleum Pump Operators: $54,492
14. Boilermakers: $54,942
13. Solar Energy Installation Managers: $55,598
12. Cartographers: $55,932
11. Mechanics Supervisors : $56,133
10. Aerospace engineering technicians: $58,961
9. Gas Plant Operator: $59,388
8. Landscape Architect: $60,696
7. Transportation Inspector: $62,018
6. Power Line Installer: $62,094
5. Power Plant Operator: $62,908
4. Water Vessel Captain: $63,032
3. Powerhouse Equipment Installer: $67,128
2. Elevator Installer: $68,792
1. Power Distributor: $73,446
You can see the full list and more information from CareerTrends here.
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This post was last modified on August 31, 2017 1:02 pm
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