Highest-Paying Jobs Without a Degree
Jobs that typically need a high school diploma, a certificate or no formal credential — ranked by median pay.
The 50 jobs below have a median salary of $84,890 — 67% above the $50,980 median for all U.S. workers. 34% of them are projected to grow faster than the 3.5% average through 2035, and together they are expected to have about 530,300 openings a year. The most common entry requirement on this list is: high school diploma or equivalent (37 jobs).
| # | Job | Median salary | Take-home* | Education | Growth 2025–35 | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | $95,487 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +5.2% | 5,200 |
| 2 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operator | $122,890 | $95,261 | High school diploma or equivalent | -5.9% | 400 |
| 3 | Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer | $109,910 | $86,152 | High school diploma or equivalent | +5.7% | 1,900 |
| 4 | Ship Engineer | $109,530 | $85,884 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +2.7% | 900 |
| 5 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | $84,266 | High school diploma or equivalent | +6.1% | 18,300 |
| 6 | Power Distributor and Dispatcher | $106,730 | $83,915 | High school diploma or equivalent | +1.2% | 700 |
| 7 | First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives | $106,040 | $83,429 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.3% | 10,600 |
| 8 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | $81,305 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +9.7% | 1,800 |
| 9 | Power Plant Operator | $102,040 | $80,615 | High school diploma or equivalent | -5.1% | 2,300 |
| 10 | Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $97,150 | $77,175 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +6.1% | 600 |
| 11 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $96,710 | $76,865 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.9% | 2,700 |
| 12 | Postmaster and Mail Superintendent | $96,660 | $76,830 | High school diploma or equivalent | -0.3% | 900 |
| 13 | Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer | $95,320 | $75,888 | High school diploma or equivalent | +10.3% | 10,900 |
| 14 | Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 | $74,811 | High school diploma or equivalent | +0.2% | 7,800 |
| 15 | First-Line Supervisor of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $93,530 | $74,628 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +3.7% | 6,600 |
| 16 | Gambling Manager | $93,220 | $74,410 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.6% | 600 |
| 17 | Signal and Track Switch Repairer | $92,460 | $73,876 | High school diploma or equivalent | +1.8% | 800 |
| 18 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $92,460 | $73,876 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +4.0% | 3,800 |
| 19 | Transportation Inspector | $92,100 | $73,622 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.2% | 2,300 |
| 20 | Transit and Railroad Police | $90,230 | $72,307 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.2% | 300 |
| 21 | Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | $89,900 | $72,075 | High school diploma or equivalent | -3.4% | 70,800 |
| 22 | Gas Plant Operator | $87,820 | $70,611 | High school diploma or equivalent | -6.0% | 1,400 |
| 23 | First-Line Supervisor of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $87,520 | $70,400 | High school diploma or equivalent | +0.5% | 21,700 |
| 24 | Subway and Streetcar Operator | $86,380 | $69,598 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.7% | 900 |
| 25 | Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | $84,890 | $68,550 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +5.4% | 500 |
| 26 | Avionics Technician | $82,280 | $66,714 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +9.4% | 1,700 |
| 27 | Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 | $66,102 | High school diploma or equivalent | +0.5% | 2,000 |
| 28 | First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | $65,054 | High school diploma or equivalent | +5.0% | 67,000 |
| 29 | Aircraft Mechanic and Service Technician | $79,870 | $65,019 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +5.4% | 11,400 |
| 30 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,860 | $65,012 | High school diploma or equivalent | +4.1% | 48,900 |
| 31 | Stationary Engineer and Boiler Operator | $78,620 | $64,139 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.1% | 3,200 |
| 32 | Roof Bolters, Mining | $78,540 | $64,083 | High school diploma or equivalent | -18.9% | 100 |
| 33 | Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | $78,240 | $63,872 | Postsecondary nondegree award | -8.7% | 700 |
| 34 | Chemical Plant and System Operator | $78,120 | $63,787 | High school diploma or equivalent | -5.2% | 1,300 |
| 35 | Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $78,000 | $63,703 | High school diploma or equivalent | -5.5% | 20,900 |
| 36 | Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 | $63,703 | High school diploma or equivalent | +0.9% | 3,000 |
| 37 | First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers | $77,970 | $63,682 | High school diploma or equivalent | -2.5% | 3,700 |
| 38 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator | $77,320 | $63,225 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.1% | 300 |
| 39 | Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant | $76,590 | $62,711 | High school diploma or equivalent | 0.0% | 43,300 |
| 40 | Boilermaker | $76,410 | $62,584 | High school diploma or equivalent | -1.8% | 700 |
| 41 | First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | $76,400 | $62,577 | High school diploma or equivalent | +1.9% | 1,700 |
| 42 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officer | $76,210 | $62,444 | High school diploma or equivalent | +3.5% | 51,500 |
| 43 | Terrazzo Worker and Finisher | $76,170 | $62,416 | High school diploma or equivalent | -13.0% | 100 |
| 44 | Fire Inspector and Investigator | $75,920 | $62,240 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +4.2% | 1,600 |
| 45 | Construction and Building Inspector | $74,690 | $61,374 | High school diploma or equivalent | 0.0% | 14,800 |
| 46 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | $61,241 | No formal educational credential | -15.8% | 400 |
| 47 | First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers | $74,450 | $61,206 | High school diploma or equivalent | +1.8% | 61,000 |
| 48 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $74,340 | $61,128 | High school diploma or equivalent | +4.3% | 3,600 |
| 49 | Telecommunications Line Installer and Repairer | $74,330 | $61,121 | High school diploma or equivalent | -3.4% | 8,000 |
| 50 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $74,090 | $60,952 | Postsecondary nondegree award | +0.3% | 4,700 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal tax and FICA, no state income tax. Pick your state in the calculator below to see your own number. Average growth for all jobs: 3.5%.
What would #1 take home in your state?
Your take-home pay
$95,487
per year · effective tax rate 22.5%
$7,957Monthly
$3,979Twice a month
$3,673Every 2 weeks
$45.91Hourly
- Federal income tax$18,307
- Social Security (6.2%)$7,640
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,787
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$95,487
Marginal rate: 24% federal + 0.00% state
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-paying job without a degree?
Commercial Pilots earn a median $123,220 a year (BLS, May 2025). Typical entry education: postsecondary nondegree award.
Where does this data come from?
Salaries are U.S. median wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Education, openings and growth come from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal tax rules for a single filer in a state with no income tax.