Not every job requires a four-year degree, especially jobs in construction, maintenance, production and transportation. These 45 jobs all require an associate degree at most, although some do involve longer periods of on-the-job training. Each job has a median salary of at least $40,000 per year and employment in each is expected to grow faster than employment in the state overall by 2032.
|
Job |
2022 Employment |
Projected growth by 2032 (%) |
Education Typically Required |
Post-Hire Training |
Annual Median Income |
|
Construction and extraction occupations |
126,068 |
8.0 |
$53,760 |
||
|
Construction laborers |
23,618 |
16.8 |
– |
$46,780 |
|
|
Carpenters |
18,625 |
12.9 |
π |
$51,030 |
|
|
First-line construction supervisors |
16,355 |
12.0 |
π |
$76,210 |
|
|
Electricians |
12,042 |
13.8 |
π |
$70,350 |
|
|
Operating engineers |
8,753 |
12.5 |
π |
$66,020 |
|
|
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters |
7,610 |
10.1 |
π |
$68,230 |
|
|
Painters, construction and maintenance |
4,784 |
10.7 |
– |
$47,720 |
|
|
Roofers |
2,586 |
8.6 |
– |
$46,260 |
|
|
Drywall and ceiling tile installers |
1,411 |
9.4 |
– |
$57,380 |
|
|
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners |
1,144 |
8.7 |
π |
$49,190 |
|
|
Structural iron and steel workers |
1,025 |
11.7 |
π |
$80,100 |
|
|
Brickmasons and blockmasons |
929 |
7.8 |
π |
$60,890 |
|
|
Insulation workers, mechanical |
724 |
8.7 |
π |
$75,440 |
|
|
Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall |
659 |
10.0 |
– |
$47,570 |
|
|
Excavating, dragline operators, surface mining |
621 |
13.4 |
π |
$53,580 |
|
|
Glaziers |
555 |
7.8 |
π |
$62,690 |
|
|
Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles |
361 |
14.1 |
– |
$41,700 |
|
|
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators |
355 |
13.5 |
π |
$53,850 |
|
|
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
120,515 |
10.5 |
$51,430 |
||
|
Maintenance and repair workers, general |
32,215 |
8.6 |
π |
$45,900 |
|
|
Industrial machinery mechanics |
16,968 |
25.1 |
π |
$60,420 |
|
|
Automotive service technicians and mechanics |
14,407 |
7.7 |
ππ |
$46,850 |
|
|
HVAC, refrigeration mechanics and installers |
6,501 |
13.0 |
ππ |
$60,700 |
|
|
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines |
2,720 |
16.7 |
π |
$60,590 |
|
|
Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians |
1,579 |
23.8 |
π |
$49,250 |
|
|
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other |
1,491 |
10.0 |
π |
$46,730 |
|
|
Medical equipment repairers |
1,195 |
24.4 |
πππ |
$63,560 |
|
|
Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers |
1,178 |
7.6 |
π |
$42,310 |
|
|
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians |
1,019 |
16.7 |
π |
$43,920 |
|
|
Maintenance workers, machinery |
943 |
7.7 |
π |
$57,020 |
|
|
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians |
743 |
17.1 |
ππ |
$55,890 |
|
|
Millwrights |
636 |
9.8 |
π |
$64,710 |
|
|
Motorcycle mechanics |
461 |
11.9 |
ππ |
$44,730 |
|
|
Mechanical door repairers |
402 |
13.2 |
π |
$51,160 |
|
|
Production occupations |
319,263 |
2.9 |
$39,030 |
||
|
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers |
18,926 |
9.3 |
π |
$49,390 |
|
|
Food batchmakers |
16,707 |
9.9 |
π |
$40,460 |
|
|
Machinists |
8,359 |
9.2 |
π |
$44,930 |
|
|
Coating, painting machine operators |
7,481 |
8.7 |
π |
$43,560 |
|
|
Metal and plastic machine tool operators |
4,736 |
9.0 |
π |
$40,230 |
|
|
Chemical equipment operators |
2,219 |
10.4 |
π |
$44,070 |
|
|
CNC tool programmers |
2,039 |
25.1 |
ππ |
$58,330 |
|
|
Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine operators |
1,578 |
10.7 |
π |
$41,940 |
|
|
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic |
1,019 |
12.8 |
π |
$41,290 |
|
|
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators |
710 |
11.4 |
π |
$45,170 |
|
|
Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators |
518 |
9.9 |
π |
$45,550 |
|
|
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators |
447 |
7.8 |
– |
$45,450 |
|
Education Typically Required |
|
|
No formal educational credential |
— |
|
High school diploma or equivalent |
π |
|
Postsecondary non-degree award or |
ππ |
|
Associate degree |
πππ |
|
Bachelor’s degree |
ππππ |
|
On-the-job training needed |
|
|
None |
|
|
Short-term |
|
|
Moderate |
|
|
Long-term |
|
|
Apprenticeship |