High-paying jobs without a college degree
Updated Oct 31, 2026
Occupations where most workers do not hold a bachelor's degree, ranked by median pay.
Good pay, no bachelor's degree required(40 occupations)
| # | Occupation | Median pay | In 10 yrs | Outlook | AI risk | Growth (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Traffic Controllers Aviation · 23K workers |
$148,080 | $190,600est. | 52/100 | 61% | +1.7% |
| 2 | Data Scientists AI & Data · 262K workers |
$120,230 | $166,500est. | 65/100 | 73% | +34.6% |
| 3 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers Construction · 24K workers |
$109,910 | $152,700est. | 71/100 | 16% | +5.7% |
| 4 | Ship Engineers Transportation · 8,400 workers |
$109,530 | $149,000est. | 67/100 | 25% | +2.7% |
| 5 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Protective Services · 155K workers |
$106,040 | $145,700est. | 61/100 | 15% | +3.3% |
| 6 | Radiation Therapists Healthcare · 17K workers |
$105,310 | $142,100est. | 53/100 | 36% | +2.8% |
| 7 | Power Plant Operators Manufacturing & Repair · 29K workers |
$102,040 | $132,000est. | 45/100 | 42% | −5.1% |
| 8 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists Healthcare · 17K workers |
$101,370 | $138,300est. | 58/100 | 32% | +4.4% |
| 9 | Dental Hygienists Healthcare · 223K workers |
$98,100 | $137,200est. | 68/100 | 22% | +8.0% |
| 10 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers Manufacturing & Repair · 33K workers |
$96,710 | $124,800est. | 42/100 | 54% | −1.9% |
| 11 | Postmasters and Mail Superintendents Management & Consulting · 14K workers |
$96,660 | $125,400est. | 41/100 | 55% | −0.3% |
| 12 | Hydrologists Engineering & Science · 5,850 workers |
$96,600 | $123,800est. | 43/100 | 62% | +1.5% |
| 13 | Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Healthcare · 90K workers |
$96,590 | $136,200est. | 66/100 | 38% | +13.9% |
| 14 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists Healthcare · 43K workers |
$95,480 | $131,500est. | 60/100 | 41% | +7.7% |
| 15 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers Manufacturing & Repair · 131K workers |
$95,320 | $134,500est. | 73/100 | 20% | +10.3% |
| 16 | Gambling Managers Management & Consulting · 5,030 workers |
$93,220 | $123,200est. | 60/100 | 55% | +3.6% |
| 17 | Web Developers IT & Software · 70K workers |
$92,650 | $113,900est. | 46/100 | 80% | +3.8% |
| 18 | Signal and Track Switch Repairers Manufacturing & Repair · 8,720 workers |
$92,460 | $125,100est. | 57/100 | 26% | +1.8% |
| 19 | Gas Plant Operators Manufacturing & Repair · 18K workers |
$87,820 | $108,800est. | 35/100 | 61% | −6.0% |
| 20 | Subway and Streetcar Operators Transportation · 10K workers |
$86,380 | $116,900est. | 55/100 | 39% | +3.7% |
| 21 | Accountants and Auditors Accounting & Tax · 1.4M workers |
$83,680 | $101,700est. | 47/100 | 86% | +5.0% |
| 22 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians Engineering & Science · 11K workers |
$82,890 | $114,400est. | 67/100 | 54% | +11.9% |
| 23 | Respiratory Therapists Healthcare · 140K workers |
$82,280 | $115,000est. | 64/100 | 26% | +8.5% |
| 24 | Avionics Technicians Manufacturing & Repair · 19K workers |
$82,280 | $114,400est. | 69/100 | 39% | +9.4% |
| 25 | Locomotive Engineers Transportation · 33K workers |
$81,410 | $108,800est. | 42/100 | 34% | +0.5% |
| 26 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians Healthcare · 230K workers |
$80,110 | $109,000est. | 54/100 | 40% | +5.0% |
| 27 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Manufacturing & Repair · 138K workers |
$79,870 | $109,900est. | 65/100 | 27% | +5.4% |
| 28 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers Manufacturing & Repair · 618K workers |
$79,860 | $108,300est. | 58/100 | 38% | +4.1% |
| 29 | Funeral Home Managers Management & Consulting · 14K workers |
$78,790 | $106,500est. | 66/100 | 43% | +4.1% |
| 30 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Manufacturing & Repair · 28K workers |
$78,620 | $106,000est. | 62/100 | 39% | +3.1% |
| 31 | Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Management & Consulting · 12K workers |
$78,240 | $96,300est. | 32/100 | 59% | −8.7% |
| 32 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Engineering & Science · 95K workers |
$78,190 | $103,700est. | 50/100 | 52% | +2.4% |
| 33 | Chemical Plant and System Operators Manufacturing & Repair · 17K workers |
$78,120 | $98,100est. | 37/100 | 58% | −5.2% |
| 34 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters Transportation · 46K workers |
$78,000 | $103,600est. | 40/100 | 45% | +0.9% |
| 35 | First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers Protective Services · 53K workers |
$77,970 | $103,100est. | 46/100 | 29% | −2.5% |
| 36 | Boilermakers Construction · 10K workers |
$76,410 | $102,600est. | 49/100 | 12% | −1.8% |
| 37 | Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Protective Services · 671K workers |
$76,210 | $104,400est. | 58/100 | 20% | +3.5% |
| 38 | Fire Inspectors and Investigators Protective Services · 14K workers |
$75,920 | $103,500est. | 66/100 | 32% | +4.2% |
| 39 | Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Film & Video · 22K workers |
$74,990 | $100,800est. | 56/100 | 32% | +1.3% |
| 40 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining Construction · 5,930 workers |
$74,500 | $95,300est. | 40/100 | 11% | −15.8% |
Pay and employment figures are national statistics (U.S.: BLS OEWS and Employment Projections; Japan: MHLW job tag). Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. How to read the data