The highest paying jobs without a degree
You do not need a four-year degree to earn well. These 75 jobs pay the most among careers the BLS says you can enter without a college degree, ranked by median annual salary for May 2024.
Every job on this list has a typical entry-level education of high school, a certificate, an apprenticeship, or on-the-job training, according to the BLS. The top job pays a median of $122,670 a year, and even the tenth ranked pays $97,540, both well above the $49,500 median for all U.S. jobs.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial Pilots | $122,670 | Salaried | Postsecondary nondegree award | 51,830 |
| 2 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $122,610 | $58.95 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,720 |
| 3 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $107,240 | $51.56 | High school diploma or equivalent | 9,180 |
| 4 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $106,580 | $51.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,340 |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $105,980 | $50.95 | High school diploma or equivalent | 153,130 |
| 6 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $102,010 | $49.05 | High school diploma or equivalent | 213,000 |
| 7 | Ship Engineers | $101,320 | $48.71 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 8,580 |
| 8 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $100,940 | $48.53 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 23,040 |
| 9 | Power Plant Operators | $99,670 | $47.92 | High school diploma or equivalent | 30,720 |
| 10 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $97,540 | $46.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 34,860 |
| 11 | Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $93,580 | $44.99 | High school diploma or equivalent | 110,790 |
| 12 | Postmasters and Mail Superintendents | $92,730 | $44.58 | High school diploma or equivalent | 13,810 |
| 13 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $92,560 | $44.50 | High school diploma or equivalent | 123,680 |
| 14 | First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $92,430 | $44.44 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 93,680 |
| 15 | Models | $89,990 | $43.26 | No formal educational credential | 5,350 |
| 16 | Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | $87,980 | $42.30 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,910 |
| 17 | Transportation Inspectors | $85,750 | $41.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,320 |
| 18 | Gambling Managers | $85,580 | $41.14 | High school diploma or equivalent | 4,620 |
| 19 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $85,540 | $41.13 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 35,390 |
| 20 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | $84,830 | $40.78 | High school diploma or equivalent | 9,200 |
| 21 | First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $84,130 | $40.45 | High school diploma or equivalent | 219,010 |
| 22 | Signal and Track Switch Repairers | $83,600 | $40.19 | High school diploma or equivalent | 8,210 |
| 23 | Gas Plant Operators | $83,400 | $40.10 | High school diploma or equivalent | 15,910 |
| 24 | Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | $82,730 | $39.77 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 7,310 |
| 25 | Transit and Railroad Police | $82,320 | $39.58 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,000 |
| 26 | Avionics Technicians | $81,390 | $39.13 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 20,900 |
| 27 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $78,690 | $37.83 | High school diploma or equivalent | 806,080 |
| 28 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $78,680 | $37.83 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 136,390 |
| 29 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,300 | $37.64 | High school diploma or equivalent | 600,680 |
| 30 | Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $78,060 | $37.53 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 14,050 |
| 31 | Locomotive Engineers | $77,400 | $37.21 | High school diploma or equivalent | 31,990 |
| 32 | Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $76,790 | $36.92 | High school diploma or equivalent | 305,020 |
| 33 | Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | $76,650 | $36.85 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 7,790 |
| 34 | Roof Bolters, Mining | $76,640 | $36.85 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,230 |
| 35 | First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $76,310 | $36.69 | High school diploma or equivalent | 53,390 |
| 36 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,290 | $36.68 | High school diploma or equivalent | 666,990 |
| 37 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $75,190 | $36.15 | High school diploma or equivalent | 30,780 |
| 38 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $74,690 | $35.91 | High school diploma or equivalent | 46,920 |
| 39 | Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $74,260 | $35.70 | High school diploma or equivalent | 472,770 |
| 40 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $74,080 | $35.62 | High school diploma or equivalent | 42,710 |
| 41 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | $73,540 | $35.35 | High school diploma or equivalent | 17,840 |
| 42 | Boilermakers | $73,340 | $35.26 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,170 |
| 43 | Real Estate Brokers | $72,280 | $34.75 | High school diploma or equivalent | 49,590 |
| 44 | Construction and Building Inspectors | $72,120 | $34.67 | High school diploma or equivalent | 137,210 |
| 45 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | $71,510 | $34.38 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,110 |
| 46 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $71,300 | $34.28 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 59,990 |
| 47 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $71,190 | $34.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 685,140 |
| 48 | Pile Driver Operators | $70,510 | $33.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,040 |
| 49 | Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $70,500 | $33.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 98,360 |
| 50 | Wellhead Pumpers | $70,010 | $33.66 | High school diploma or equivalent | 17,350 |
| 51 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $68,860 | $33.11 | No formal educational credential | 6,130 |
| 52 | Lodging Managers | $68,130 | $32.76 | High school diploma or equivalent | 41,350 |
| 53 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | $67,670 | $32.54 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,860 |
| 54 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $67,370 | $32.39 | High school diploma or equivalent | 16,480 |
| 55 | Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $67,310 | $32.36 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 12,630 |
| 56 | Flight Attendants | $67,130 | Salaried | High school diploma or equivalent | 130,110 |
| 57 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $66,780 | $32.11 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,266,860 |
| 58 | Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $66,700 | $32.07 | High school diploma or equivalent | 296,640 |
| 59 | Sound Engineering Technicians | $66,430 | $31.94 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 13,050 |
| 60 | Crane and Tower Operators | $66,370 | $31.91 | High school diploma or equivalent | 42,000 |
| 61 | Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $66,260 | $31.86 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,189,330 |
| 62 | First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,140 | $31.80 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,495,580 |
| 63 | Rail Car Repairers | $65,680 | $31.58 | High school diploma or equivalent | 18,300 |
| 64 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $65,670 | $31.57 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 28,230 |
| 65 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $65,480 | $31.48 | High school diploma or equivalent | 12,460 |
| 66 | Food Service Managers | $65,310 | $31.40 | High school diploma or equivalent | 244,230 |
| 67 | Millwrights | $65,170 | $31.33 | High school diploma or equivalent | 40,660 |
| 68 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $65,010 | $31.26 | No formal educational credential | 13,090 |
| 69 | Tapers | $64,700 | $31.11 | No formal educational credential | 12,500 |
| 70 | Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $63,980 | $30.76 | High school diploma or equivalent | 180,270 |
| 71 | Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | $63,940 | $30.74 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,160 |
| 72 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $63,760 | $30.65 | High school diploma or equivalent | 421,940 |
| 73 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $63,380 | $30.47 | No formal educational credential | 14,340 |
| 74 | Transportation Security Screeners | $63,360 | $30.46 | High school diploma or equivalent | 46,340 |
| 75 | Tool and Die Makers | $63,180 | $30.38 | Postsecondary nondegree award | 55,130 |
Ranked by median annual wage. Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024. Typical education from the BLS Employment Projections program.
How "without a degree" is defined
This is not a guess. The BLS Employment Projections program assigns every occupation a typical entry-level education. We include a job here only when that level is one of: no formal educational credential, a high school diploma or equivalent, a postsecondary nondegree award such as a certificate, or some college with no degree. Any job that typically requires an associate’s degree or higher is left off. Many of these roles still need real training through apprenticeships, licenses, or certificates, which is often why they pay well.
Jobs without a degree FAQ
What is the highest paying job without a degree?
Among jobs that do not typically require a college degree, commercial pilots rank at the top with a median of $122,670 a year, based on BLS data.
How do you decide a job needs no degree?
We use the BLS Employment Projections program, which assigns every occupation a "typical entry-level education." This page includes only jobs where that level is no formal credential, a high school diploma or equivalent, a postsecondary nondegree award such as a certificate, or some college with no degree. Jobs that typically need an associate’s degree or higher are excluded.
Do these jobs need any training at all?
Often yes, just not a four-year college degree. Many require an apprenticeship, a technical certificate, a license, or months of on-the-job training. "No degree" is not the same as "no skills," and pay usually reflects the training and licensing involved.
How are the jobs ranked?
Strictly by the median annual wage the BLS publishes for May 2024. The median is the midpoint: half of workers earn more and half earn less.