26 jobs that pay more than $80,000 a year and don't require a bachelor's degree

Mon, 05/08/2023 - 06:00

chemical plant operator — kali9/Getty Images

College graduates make almost twice as much money as high school graduates.
Still, student debt and the tight labor market make college less attractive.
The 26 highest-paid jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree span transportation, energy, healthcare, and more.

College graduates tend to earn more, but you can still make six figures without going to college.

Though on average those with a bachelor's degree earn almost twice as much as those with only a high school diploma, fewer graduating seniors are going to college. For many, college is not worth taking on student debt when the worker shortage raises their pay. And as more state governments, companies, and members of Congress no longer require a college degree to work for them, high school graduates will gain access to even more good jobs.

Using the most recent occupational wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we ranked the 26 highest-paid jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree. They span transportation, energy, healthcare, and more. All of these jobs pay above $80,000 a year.

26. Gambling managers

Median annual wage in 2022: $80,710

Number of people employed in 2022: 4,800

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

25. Signal and track switch repairers

train switch repair — APChanel/Shutterstock

Median annual wage in 2022: $81,300

Number of people employed in 2022: 6,880

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

24. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Median annual wage in 2022: $81,350

Number of people employed in 2022: 81,080

Typical education required: Associate's degree

23. Dental hygienists

Median annual wage in 2022: $81,400

Number of people employed in 2022: 214,700

Typical education required: Associate's degree

22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

power distributor — Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $82,340

Number of people employed in 2022: 119,510

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

21. Chemical plant and system operators

Median annual wage in 2022: $82,670

Number of people employed in 2022: 18,710

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

20. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

Median annual wage in 2022: $82,850

Number of people employed in 2022: 237,520

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

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

Median annual wage in 2022: $85,090

Number of people employed in 2022: 31,360

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

18. Nuclear medicine technologists

Median annual wage in 2022: $85,300

Number of people employed in 2022: 16,910

Typical education required: Associate's degree

17. Detectives and criminal investigators

Median annual wage in 2022: $86,280

Number of people employed in 2022: 107,400

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

16. Ship engineers

Median annual wage in 2022: $88,260

Number of people employed in 2022: 9,120

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

15. Subway and streetcar operators

subway operator — Mario Tama/Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $88,260

Number of people employed in 2022: 9,120

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

14. Radiation therapists

Median annual wage in 2022: $89,530

Number of people employed in 2022: 15,510

Typical education required: Associate's degree

13. Power plant operators

power plant worker — Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $93,060

Number of people employed in 2022: 31,590

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

12. Powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical and electronics repairers

Median annual wage in 2022: $93,720

Number of people employed in 2022: 25,440

Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award

11. Athletes and sports competitors

LeBron James breaks NBA scoring record.
Photo by Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $94,270

Number of people employed in 2022: 11,930

Typical education required: No formal educational credential

10. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

Median annual wage in 2022: $95,210

Number of people employed in 2022: 34,940

Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award

9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

police supervisor — Graham Taylor/Shutterstock

Median annual wage in 2022: $96,290

Number of people employed in 2022: 131,860

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

8. Theatrical and performance makeup artists

Kodo Nishimura putting makeup on a model during New York Fashion Week. — Nishimura was a makeup artist at major events like New York Fashion Week and Miss Universe.
Kodo Nishimura

Median annual wage in 2022: $96,370

Number of people employed in 2022: 2,970

Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award

7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Foreman and manager having a discussion at the distribution warehouse. — Nitat Termmee/Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $98,560

Number of people employed in 2022: 169,910

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

elevator repair — Photo and Co/Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $99,000

Number of people employed in 2022: 24,380

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

5. Nuclear technicians

Median annual wage in 2022: $100,420

Number of people employed in 2022: 5,880

Typical education required: Associate's degree

4. Power distributors and dispatchers

power dispatcher — Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Median annual wage in 2022: $101,650

Number of people employed in 2022: 9,380

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

3. Commercial pilots

Mark Pankey is a Southwest Airlines pilot who lives out of an aircraft catering truck that he converted into a tiny home.
Mark Pankey

Median annual wage in 2022: $103,910

Number of people employed in 2022: 48,750

Typical education required: Postsecondary nondegree award

2. Nuclear power reactor operators

nuclear reactor worker — Jacob Wilcox, a test engineer, pulls his arm out of a glove box used for processing sodium at TerraPower, a company developing and building small nuclear reactors, Jan. 13, 2022, in Everett, Washington.
Elaine Thompson/AP

Median annual wage in 2022: $115,870

Number of people employed in 2022: 5,450

Typical education required: High school diploma or equivalent

1. Air traffic controllers

Median annual wage in 2022: $132,250

Number of people employed in 2022: 21,250

Typical education required: Associate's degree

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26 jobs that pay more than $80,000 a year and don't require a bachelor's degree