The 25 highest-paying jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree

• A high school diploma or an associate degree can sometimes lead to high-paying work.
• About a dozen jobs that usually don't need a bachelor's degree had six-figure median annual pay in May 2025.
• Air traffic controllers ranked at the top, with an annual wage of $148,080.

If you don't have a bachelor's degree but want to earn a lot, you could consider becoming an air traffic controller, a nuclear power reactor operator, or a diagnostic medical sonographer.

To get a sense of good options for those who don't have or want a four-year degree, Business Insider ranked median annual wages of jobs that usually just need an associate degree, a high school diploma or the equivalent, a postsecondary nondegree award, or no formal education using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Based on May 2025 pay data, about a dozen jobs that typically don't need a bachelor's degree had a median annual wage in the six figures.

Air traffic controllers had a median annual wage of $148,080. BLS said prospective controllers can qualify with an associate degree through an air traffic collegiate training initiative program. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers were another high-paying job, and interested job seekers may need no more than a high school diploma.

Are you making six figures without student loan debt and without a bachelor's degree? Reach out to this reporter to share at [email protected].

Below are the 25 highest-paying jobs that typically don't require a bachelor's or more advanced degree. Employment and pay estimates are for 2025, and the education needed for entry reflects 2024.

24 (tie). Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Median annual pay: $92,460

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 36,850

24 (tie). Signal and track switch repairers

Median annual pay: $92,460

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 8,720

23. Gambling managers

Median annual pay: $93,220

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 5,030

22. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

Median annual pay: $93,530

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 99,140

21. Detectives and criminal investigators

Median annual pay: $93,790

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 114,430

20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Median annual pay: $95,320

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 131,070

19. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Median annual pay: $95,480

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 43,390

18. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Median annual pay: $96,590

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 90,160

17. Postmasters and mail superintendents

Median annual pay: $96,660

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 13,810

16. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

Median annual pay: $96,710

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 33,160

15. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance

Median annual pay: $97,150

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 2,340

14. Dental hygienists

Median annual pay: $98,100

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 222,740

13. Nuclear medicine technologists

Median annual pay: $101,370

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 17,080

12. Power plant operators

Median annual pay: $102,040

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 29,320

11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

Median annual pay: $103,020

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 20,720

10. Radiation therapists

Median annual pay: $105,310

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 17,070

9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Median annual pay: $106,040

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 154,610

8. Power distributors and dispatchers

Median annual pay: $106,730

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 8,520

7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Median annual pay: $107,230

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 221,180

6. Ship engineers

Median annual pay: $109,530

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 8,400

5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Median annual pay: $109,910

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 23,790

4. Nuclear technicians

Median annual pay: $110,240

Typical education needed: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 6,470

3. Nuclear power reactor operators

Median annual pay: $122,890

Typical education needed: High school diploma or equivalent

Employment estimate: 5,150

2. Commercial pilots

Median annual pay: $123,220

Typical education needed: Postsecondary nondegree award

Employment estimate: 47,630

1. Air traffic controllers

Median annual pay: $148,080

Typical education: Associate degree

Employment estimate: 22,510

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