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.
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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