If it feels like you're spending more and more on food every time you walk into a supermarket, you're not alone.

It's almost as if everything costs multiples of $10 these days — a pound of cheese at the deli counter is around $10, a small bag of dog food is over $10, and paper towels and toilet paper can easily set you back $20. Want a few good steaks for dinner? Fork over $30, $40, or more.

So how do you get ahead, especially if you don't have a college degree?

Luckily, there are numerous career fields that you can get into that pay very well and you don't need to spend years in college.

Help wanted sign at a candy store on the Ocean City NJ Boardwalk - Photo: Chris Coleman
Help wanted sign at a candy store on the Ocean City NJ Boardwalk - Photo: Chris Coleman
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That also means you aren't paying off student loans for the next 300 years.

New Jersey education statistics

According to New Jersey education statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau,

  • Those 25 or older with a high school education or higher (2018-2022): 90.6% of the population
  • Those 25 or older with a Bachelor's degree or higher (2018-2022): 42.3% of the population

Yes, New Jersey has a rather large population of people with higher college degrees.

But what about the 58% that don't?

We recently took a deep dive into salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found 50 good-paying career fields that don't require a college degree.

The average salaries at the bottom of the list start at just under $60,000/year while once you get into the top 10, you could be making, on average, well over $90,000/year.

Close-up of a businessman's hand opening envelope with paycheck
AndreyPopov
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Careers specific to the Atlantic City area are below, followed by the Trenton area (there are more casino-related careers to get into in South Jersey compared to around the state capital).

LOOK: Highest-paying jobs in Atlantic City that don't require a college degree

Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs in Atlantic City that don't require a college degree, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

LOOK: Highest-paying jobs in Trenton that don't require a college degree

Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs in Trenton that don't require a college degree, using annual compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gallery Credit: Stacker