High paying repair and maintenance jobs in California with no degree

The best paid repair and maintenance occupations in California that require no bachelor's degree — a high school diploma, a certificate, or an associate's degree is the typical entry. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Cost of living: prices in California run 10.7% above the national average (2024), so a California salary is worth about 0.90× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in California.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find repair jobs in California

OccupationMedian, California · Employed

1Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers$129,040
High school diploma or equivalent
$77,350 – $167,0908,930
2Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers$97,980
High school diploma or equivalent
$60,260 – $106,2308,810
3First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers$93,660
High school diploma or equivalent
$56,720 – $154,82051,670
4Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$87,080
Postsecondary nondegree award
$52,790 – $129,9105,830
5Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$86,100
Postsecondary nondegree award
$53,860 – $116,69012,590
6Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$78,550
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,880 – $129,31020,080
7Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers$76,630
Postsecondary nondegree award
$56,410 – $113,24014,040
8Industrial Machinery Mechanics$74,400
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,880 – $107,70026,830
9Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$73,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,180 – $96,73020,940
10Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers$72,560
Postsecondary nondegree award
$46,950 – $109,06035,130
11Medical Equipment Repairers$72,450
Associate's degree
$47,920 – $129,8106,080
12Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers$71,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$46,090 – $98,7108,180
13Automotive Body and Related Repairers$66,860
High school diploma or equivalent
$41,910 – $97,48014,050
14Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics$64,980
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,180 – $95,28065,420
15Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers$58,280
Some college, no degree
$38,660 – $75,5707,250
16Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$57,000
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,810 – $82,710143,060
17Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other$51,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,740 – $80,53023,630
18Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers$44,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,900 – $59,7709,050
19Tire Repairers and Changers$39,680
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,790 – $58,14011,620

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCalifornia	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$129,040	$77,350 – $167,090	8,930
2	Telecommunications Line Installers and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$97,980	$60,260 – $106,230	8,810
3	First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$93,660	$56,720 – $154,820	51,670
4	Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial EquipmentPostsecondary nondegree award	$87,080	$52,790 – $129,910	5,830
5	Aircraft Mechanics and Service TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$86,100	$53,860 – $116,690	12,590
6	Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except EnginesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$78,550	$47,880 – $129,310	20,080
7	Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line InstallersPostsecondary nondegree award	$76,630	$56,410 – $113,240	14,040
8	Industrial Machinery MechanicsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,400	$47,880 – $107,700	26,830
9	Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$73,950	$47,180 – $96,730	20,940
10	Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersPostsecondary nondegree award	$72,560	$46,950 – $109,060	35,130
11	Medical Equipment RepairersAssociate's degree	$72,450	$47,920 – $129,810	6,080
12	Security and Fire Alarm Systems InstallersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$71,570	$46,090 – $98,710	8,180
13	Automotive Body and Related RepairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$66,860	$41,910 – $97,480	14,050
14	Automotive Service Technicians and MechanicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,980	$38,180 – $95,280	65,420
15	Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine RepairersSome college, no degree	$58,280	$38,660 – $75,570	7,250
16	Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,000	$38,810 – $82,710	143,060
17	Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,230	$38,740 – $80,530	23,630
18	Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,670	$35,900 – $59,770	9,050
19	Tire Repairers and ChangersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39,680	$35,790 – $58,140	11,620

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in California. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for California

Metro areas in California

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in California

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in California to rank honestly.

High paying repair and maintenance jobs in California with no degree

More for California

Metro areas in California

By field in California

Without a degree

High paying repair and maintenance jobs in each state with no degree