Precision Machining Jobs Account for 7 of the Top 25 High Paying Jobs — No College Degree Required

For those hiring in the precision machining industry, you have a huge advantage. You can show millennials that the money is there and the work is rewarding.

Follow the money. I just spoke to two millennials who do not hold a college degree. They told me, in this current job market, they are chasing the
money. The work itself was secondary. For those who are hiring in the precision machining industry, you have a huge advantage. You can show them that the money is there and the work is rewarding.

High Paying Jobs

According to businessinsider.com (which pulled data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics), there are 25 high paying jobs that do not require a college degree and are growing — which means they will be around in the future, and not go the way of milkmen. Plus, our industry was declared essential during the pandemic, so job security is an advantage. Of those 25, seven jobs (32%) relate to the precision machining industry. The seven jobs are:

Machinists
Production, planning and expediting clerks
Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers
Computer user support specialists
Industrial machinery mechanics
Sales representatives of services

The median annual earnings for the seven jobs mentioned above range between $45,000 and $70,000 in 2020. And, for many of those positions, there is room for advancement. To give you a comparison for the median annual earnings, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics lists cashiers, cooks, wait staff, retail salespeople, home health aides, security guards, orderlies and bank tellers as earning between $25,000 and $32,000 annually in 2020. No degree required, but look at the salary difference.

The math works in our favor. If many in the current workforce pool are chasing the money, you can offer them money and a career. Getting a degree can create serious debt and the degree doesn’t guarantee a large salary. Just ask the disc jockeys and broadcasters who are paying off the cost of a bachelor’s degree with annual median earnings of $36,000. Or the credit counselor with their bachelor’s degree earning an annual median of $42,000. We have very strong arguments for those who don’t see college in their future and are chasing the money. So, go show them how they can get on track to buy that new truck.

About the Author

Carli Kistler-Miller

Carli Kistler-Miller, MBA, has over 20 years of experience with communications, event/meeting planning, marketing, writing and operations. Email cmiller@pmpa.org at PMPA.