West Virginia · BLS, May 2025 wages

$30-an-hour jobs without a degree in West Virginia

Name: $30-an-hour jobs without a degree in West Virginia, 2025
Creator: Degreeless Jobs
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

66 occupations in West Virginia pay a median of $30 an hour or more and typically need less than a bachelor’s degree to enter. The highest is power distributors and dispatchers at $49.02 an hour.

By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS

All 66, sorted by hourly median

State medians for employed workers. The 25th to 75th range is annual. Occupations reported on an annual basis only are not included.

Occupations in West Virginia with a median of $30 an hour or more that typically require less than a bachelor's degree
Occupation	Hourly median	Annual median	25th to 75th	Employed	Typical entry education
Power distributors and dispatchersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49.02	$101,960	$99,170 to $103,020	50	High school diploma or equivalent
Artists and related workers, all otherNo formal educational credential	$48.75	$101,400	$65,170 to $118,290	50	No formal educational credential
Transportation, storage, and distribution managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47.23	$98,230	$62,520 to $120,010	530	High school diploma or equivalent
Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relayPostsecondary nondegree award	$46.92	$97,600	$54,350 to $97,600	70	Postsecondary nondegree award
Power plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46.74	$97,210	$88,730 to $100,300	170	High school diploma or equivalent
Postmasters and mail superintendentsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46.28	$96,260	$90,650 to $102,920	180	High school diploma or equivalent
Detectives and criminal investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44.43	$92,410	$56,770 to $149,280	220	High school diploma or equivalent
Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43.93	$91,380	$63,510 to $91,380	40	High school diploma or equivalent
Telecommunications line installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43.12	$89,690	$71,820 to $92,120	1,270	High school diploma or equivalent
Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and techniciansAssociate's degree	$41.08	$85,440	$73,330 to $97,680	300	Associate's degree
Captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselsPostsecondary nondegree award	$41.00	$85,290	$61,610 to $102,940	110	Postsecondary nondegree award
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40.34	$83,910	$81,090 to $89,570	330	High school diploma or equivalent
Electrical power-line installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$40.29	$83,810	$64,450 to $107,260	1,260	High school diploma or equivalent
Gas plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39.71	$82,600	$70,950 to $90,140	420	High school diploma or equivalent
Chemical plant and system operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39.28	$81,710	$65,280 to $83,760	380	High school diploma or equivalent
Occupational health and safety techniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$39.17	$81,470	$65,790 to $90,690	320	High school diploma or equivalent
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all otherAssociate's degree	$39.10	$81,330	$61,110 to $95,570	450	Associate's degree
Magnetic resonance imaging technologistsAssociate's degree	$38.70	$80,490	$76,680 to $94,910	190	Associate's degree
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38.49	$80,060	$62,440 to $103,770	5,380	High school diploma or equivalent
Roof bolters, miningHigh school diploma or equivalent	$38.17	$79,400	$70,760 to $81,850	970	High school diploma or equivalent
Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical doorHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37.98	$79,000	$62,410 to $85,610	610	High school diploma or equivalent
Continuous mining machine operatorsNo formal educational credential	$37.29	$77,570	$64,270 to $81,720	720	No formal educational credential
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37.13	$77,230	$61,940 to $87,240	350	High school diploma or equivalent
Helpers--extraction workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$37.11	$77,180	$43,140 to $77,230	360	High school diploma or equivalent
Diagnostic medical sonographersAssociate's degree	$36.93	$76,820	$67,500 to $84,100	780	Associate's degree
Nuclear medicine technologistsAssociate's degree	$36.76	$76,460	$74,130 to $97,880	150	Associate's degree
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plasticHigh school diploma or equivalent	$36.58	$76,080	$51,010 to $76,080	1,920	High school diploma or equivalent
Loading and moving machine operators, underground miningNo formal educational credential	$36.04	$74,950	$68,410 to $78,760	1,250	No formal educational credential
Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipmentPostsecondary nondegree award	$36.02	$74,920	$64,970 to $86,940	220	Postsecondary nondegree award
First-line supervisors of police and detectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35.71	$74,280	$64,490 to $78,930	490	High school diploma or equivalent
Gambling managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35.71	$74,270	$31,910 to $95,330	50	High school diploma or equivalent
Insulation workers, mechanicalHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35.68	$74,200	$63,340 to $90,750	90	High school diploma or equivalent
Radiologic technologists and techniciansAssociate's degree	$35.65	$74,150	$61,020 to $81,370	1,810	Associate's degree
Dental hygienistsAssociate's degree	$35.50	$73,840	$63,420 to $76,260	1,250	Associate's degree
First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all otherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35.23	$73,280	$40,490 to $83,780	60	High school diploma or equivalent
Lodging managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$35.00	$72,800	$55,640 to $88,580	180	High school diploma or equivalent
Sheet metal workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34.81	$72,390	$46,910 to $74,410	540	High school diploma or equivalent
Funeral home managersAssociate's degree	$34.61	$71,990	$58,360 to $81,960	150	Associate's degree
Structural iron and steel workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34.54	$71,850	$57,610 to $74,560	150	High school diploma or equivalent
Radiation therapistsAssociate's degree	$34.42	$71,590	$54,880 to $104,900	120	Associate's degree
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$34.31	$71,360	$53,630 to $100,340	4,070	High school diploma or equivalent
Plant and system operators, all otherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$33.97	$70,660	$63,710 to $73,220	120	High school diploma or equivalent
Geological technicians, except hydrologic techniciansAssociate's degree	$33.34	$69,350	$47,680 to $85,180	60	Associate's degree
First-line supervisors of production and operating workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$33.17	$68,990	$54,450 to $90,180	3,120	High school diploma or equivalent
Respiratory therapistsAssociate's degree	$33.01	$68,670	$63,870 to $77,350	1,140	Associate's degree
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$32.35	$67,290	$56,570 to $88,710	1,340	High school diploma or equivalent
MillwrightsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$32.34	$67,270	$58,800 to $68,570	330	High school diploma or equivalent
Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all otherPostsecondary nondegree award	$31.77	$66,080	$51,850 to $105,630	80	Postsecondary nondegree award
Chemical equipment operators and tendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$31.76	$66,060	$56,990 to $92,620	1,190	High school diploma or equivalent
Architectural and civil draftersAssociate's degree	$31.56	$65,640	$48,290 to $84,680	330	Associate's degree
Underground mining machine operators, all otherNo formal educational credential	$31.54	$65,610	$63,560 to $80,930	240	No formal educational credential
Bridge and lock tendersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$31.47	$65,460	$65,460 to $69,620	60	High school diploma or equivalent
Mechanical draftersAssociate's degree	$31.30	$65,100	$55,660 to $81,320	140	Associate's degree
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$31.27	$65,050	$45,880 to $81,070	200	High school diploma or equivalent
ElectriciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$31.16	$64,810	$48,610 to $83,920	4,290	High school diploma or equivalent
Locomotive engineersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.96	$64,400	$64,380 to $74,840	340	High school diploma or equivalent
Construction and building inspectorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.77	$64,000	$47,100 to $91,520	540	High school diploma or equivalent
BoilermakersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.70	$63,850	$50,880 to $87,190	30	High school diploma or equivalent
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistantsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.68	$63,820	$52,110 to $77,990	860	High school diploma or equivalent
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific productsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.56	$63,560	$45,810 to $82,510	3,220	High school diploma or equivalent
Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installersPostsecondary nondegree award	$30.56	$63,560	$48,420 to $79,830	820	Postsecondary nondegree award
Extraction workers, all otherHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.55	$63,550	$61,750 to $71,030	470	High school diploma or equivalent
Transportation security screenersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.35	$63,130	$61,110 to $67,200	90	High school diploma or equivalent
First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.27	$62,970	$48,870 to $88,650	510	High school diploma or equivalent
Conveyor operators and tendersNo formal educational credential	$30.21	$62,830	$60,810 to $70,830	580	No formal educational credential
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$30.16	$62,740	$54,830 to $87,890	50	High school diploma or equivalent

Sources and method

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates. Typical entry education from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2). An occupation is listed when its typical entry education is below a bachelor’s degree and its West Virginia median hourly wage is $30.00 or more. Medians include experienced workers; entry pay is lower. Read the full method.

All 66, sorted by hourly median

Other states

Sources and method