BLS, May 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections

Highest-paying jobs without a bachelor’s degree

Name: Highest-paying jobs without a bachelor's degree, 2025
Creator: Degreeless Jobs
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BLS classifies 541 occupations as typically needing less than a bachelor’s degree to enter. These are the 50 with the highest median pay. The top of the list, air traffic controllers, had a median of $148,080.

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

Top 50 by median pay

Median annual pay of employed workers in May 2025. “Typical entry education” is the level most workers need to enter the occupation, as assigned by BLS; it is not a legal requirement, and many of these jobs also need a license, an apprenticeship, or an academy.

Top 50 occupations by median pay among those typically requiring less than a bachelor's degree
#	Occupation	Typical entry education	Median pay	Openings a year	Growth to 2035
1	Air traffic controllersAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$148,080	2,100	+1.7%
2	Commercial pilotsPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$123,220	5,200	+5.2%
3	Nuclear power reactor operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$122,890	400	-5.9%
4	Nuclear techniciansAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$110,240	900	+1.1%
5	Elevator and escalator installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$109,910	1,900	+5.7%
6	Ship engineersPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$109,530	900	+2.7%
7	Transportation, storage, and distribution managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$107,230	18,300	+6.1%
8	Power distributors and dispatchersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$106,730	700	+1.2%
9	First-line supervisors of police and detectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$106,040	10,600	+3.3%
10	Radiation therapistsAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$105,310	700	+2.8%
11	Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relayPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$103,020	1,800	+9.7%
12	Power plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$102,040	2,300	-5.1%
13	Nuclear medicine technologistsAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$101,370	800	+4.4%
14	Dental hygienistsAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$98,100	15,000	+8.0%
15	Makeup artists, theatrical and performancePostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$97,150	600	+6.1%
16	Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$96,710	2,700	-1.9%
17	Postmasters and mail superintendentsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$96,660	900	-0.3%
18	Diagnostic medical sonographersAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$96,590	6,000	+13.9%
19	Magnetic resonance imaging technologistsAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$95,480	2,300	+7.7%
20	Electrical power-line installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$95,320	10,900	+10.3%
21	Detectives and criminal investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$93,790	7,800	+0.2%
22	First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workersPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$93,530	6,600	+3.7%
23	Gambling managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$93,220	600	+3.6%
24	Signal and track switch repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$92,460	800	+1.8%
25	Captains, mates, and pilots of water vesselsPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$92,460	3,800	+4.0%
26	Transportation inspectorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$92,100	2,300	+2.2%
27	Transit and railroad policeHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$90,230	300	+3.2%
28	Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$89,900	70,800	-3.4%
29	Gas plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$87,820	1,400	-6.0%
30	First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$87,520	21,700	+0.5%
31	Subway and streetcar operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$86,380	900	+3.7%
32	Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipmentPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$84,890	500	+5.4%
33	Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and techniciansAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$82,890	1,100	+11.9%
34	Respiratory therapistsAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$82,280	8,600	+8.5%
35	Avionics techniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$82,280	1,700	+9.4%
36	Locomotive engineersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$81,410	2,000	+0.5%
37	Radiologic technologists and techniciansAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$80,110	13,000	+5.0%
38	First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$79,920	67,000	+5.0%
39	Aircraft mechanics and service techniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$79,870	11,400	+5.4%
40	First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$79,860	48,900	+4.1%
41	Funeral home managersAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$78,790	2,600	+4.1%
42	Stationary engineers and boiler operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,620	3,200	+3.1%
43	Roof bolters, miningHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,540	100	-18.9%
44	Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all otherAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$78,350	5,400	+2.8%
45	Insurance appraisers, auto damagePostsecondary nondegree award	Postsecondary nondegree award	$78,240	700	-8.7%
46	Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and techniciansAssociate's degree	Associate's degree	$78,190	8,100	+2.4%
47	Chemical plant and system operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,120	1,300	-5.2%
48	Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,000	20,900	-5.5%
49	Railroad conductors and yardmastersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,000	3,000	+0.9%
50	First-line supervisors of correctional officersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$77,970	3,700	-2.5%

Highest-paying with a high school diploma or less

The same ranking limited to occupations whose typical entry education is a high school diploma, an equivalent, or no formal credential. Most of these combine a diploma with long on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.

Top 25 occupations by median pay among those typically requiring a high school diploma or less
#	Occupation	Typical entry education	Median pay	Openings a year	Growth to 2035
1	Nuclear power reactor operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$122,890	400	-5.9%
2	Elevator and escalator installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$109,910	1,900	+5.7%
3	Transportation, storage, and distribution managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$107,230	18,300	+6.1%
4	Power distributors and dispatchersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$106,730	700	+1.2%
5	First-line supervisors of police and detectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$106,040	10,600	+3.3%
6	Power plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$102,040	2,300	-5.1%
7	Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$96,710	2,700	-1.9%
8	Postmasters and mail superintendentsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$96,660	900	-0.3%
9	Electrical power-line installers and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$95,320	10,900	+10.3%
10	Detectives and criminal investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$93,790	7,800	+0.2%
11	Gambling managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$93,220	600	+3.6%
12	Signal and track switch repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$92,460	800	+1.8%
13	Transportation inspectorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$92,100	2,300	+2.2%
14	Transit and railroad policeHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$90,230	300	+3.2%
15	Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$89,900	70,800	-3.4%
16	Gas plant operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$87,820	1,400	-6.0%
17	First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$87,520	21,700	+0.5%
18	Subway and streetcar operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$86,380	900	+3.7%
19	Locomotive engineersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$81,410	2,000	+0.5%
20	First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$79,920	67,000	+5.0%
21	First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairersHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$79,860	48,900	+4.1%
22	Stationary engineers and boiler operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,620	3,200	+3.1%
23	Roof bolters, miningHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,540	100	-18.9%
24	Chemical plant and system operatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,120	1,300	-5.2%
25	Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	High school diploma or equivalent	$78,000	20,900	-5.5%

How this list is built

We start from BLS Employment Projections Table 1.2, which assigns each of the 831 detailed occupations a typical entry education. We keep the ones below a bachelor’s degree (no formal credential, high school, postsecondary nondegree award, some college, or an associate’s degree) and rank them by the May 2025 median annual wage from the same table.

Medians describe people already working in the occupation, including those with decades of experience. Entry pay is lower. Occupations with a bachelor’s-typical label are excluded even where many workers lack a degree; the career pages cover those case by case.

Sources

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.