So what kind of jobs should professionals without a degree look for? Online lender NetCredit<\/a> analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data at a national, state and metro-area level to find the ones with the best pay overall and compared them to all jobs locally.<\/p>\n We analyzed BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for jobs that don\u2019t require a degree, according to the BLS Occupational Handbook. We identified those with the best pay at the national level and compared them to the overall average pay across states and large metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n First, we ranked the 25 jobs for which the BLS Occupational Handbook says no degree is necessary according to their average annual salary across America.<\/p>\n We found seven such no-degree jobs with an average six-figure salary across the U.S. (although many more have an average salary of that level locally). The best-paid non-degree job nationally is Nuclear Power Reactor Operator<\/strong>, with an average salary of $122,824. This role requires only a high school diploma or equivalent at the application stage, but successful applicants must then undertake extensive on-the-job training for a license to operate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another top-ten role is Elevator\/Escalator Installer\/Repairer<\/strong>, with a national average salary of $104,874. Positions in this line of work are rising faster than average, but the high salary reflects work conditions<\/a> that some would prefer to avoid: working in cramped spaces, at heights or surrounded by machinery, and often on 24-hour call. Entry is usually made via an apprenticeship<\/a>.<\/p>\n Next, we made a closer review of the outlook at state level. How do no-degree jobs match up to higher qualification positions when it comes to pay, locally?<\/p>\n In Wyoming, the average salary in roles not requiring a degree is $49,555, which is 82.3% of the average Wyoming salary across all roles ($60,195, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates). This is the closest gap between degree and no-degree roles for any state.<\/p>\n North Dakota (81.7%) and Mississippi (80.3%) are the closest followers, while no-degree jobs in Maryland offer the lowest return compared to the state average (66.3%).<\/p>\n In 2025, Wyoming set a target for 67%<\/a> of high school leavers to continue to some higher form of qualification. But prior efforts to boost qualification levels had stalled as students fell short of completing their degrees or community college programs, reportedly due to costs, despondency or contentment with their no-degree jobs.<\/p>\n Wyoming also boasts a healthy tradition of manual work, and the highest-paid no-degree role locally is Roof Bolter (Mining), with an average salary of $112,154.<\/p>\n In Maryland, where the average no-degree job has the lowest pay compared to the overall average, the highest-paid no-degree jobs are for Detectives and Criminal Investigators<\/strong>. They earn an average of $127,858 locally.<\/p>\n These are \u201cuniformed or plainclothes officers who gather facts and collect evidence related to criminal cases,\u201d which can be \u201cphysically demanding, stressful, and dangerous,\u201d according to the BLS Occupational Handbook<\/a>. Training is on-the-job, but employers will take physical and personal strengths into account when assessing an application, and a felony conviction can rule you out.<\/p>\n We identified the 25 large metro areas with the best no-degree salaries compared to all salaries locally and the top five no-degree jobs for nine high-profile metro areas.<\/p>\n The metro where no-degree jobs come closest to matching the average local salary is Riverside\u2013San Bernardino\u2013Ontario in California, an area also known as the Inland Empire. No-degree jobs here average $50,995, or 79.3% of the overall average salary of $64,272.<\/p>\n The Public Policy Institute of California<\/a> (PPIC) notes that Inland Empire high school graduates are far less likely to attend college than those in the rest of the state, with only 25% attending a four-year college after high school, despite the strong performance of some area high schools.<\/p>\n The highest demand for labor in the Inland Empire over the past decade has been for no-degree transportation, warehousing and health care roles. The PPIC found, when interviewing locals, that young people in the area may undervalue degrees because the local economy has such high demand for no-degree work in these and other areas, such as logistics and construction, which also offer competitive wages.<\/p>\n Public safety personnel account for some of the highest-paid no-degree roles across the nine metro areas that we\u2019ve profiled. But the Houston\u2013Pasadena\u2013The Woodlands metro in Texas stands out for its predominance of water transportation roles, with the port city of Houston serving as a gateway for the energy industry.<\/p>\n Boat Captains, Pilots and Mates<\/strong> earn an average of $117,333 in this metro. A degree from a maritime academy may help you find a place<\/a>, but getting on board is more about security clearances, licenses and certifications you can access through screening, tests and on-the-job training.<\/p>\n There are reasons for pursuing a degree beyond job prospects alone. Learning is its own reward, and college study can help you build a network, try ideas in a safe environment and figure out what you really want to do. Plus, even for no-degree jobs, managers may compare resumes and opt for the one with a degree.<\/p>\n But for many, a degree may be unsuitable, undesirable or financially unfeasible. If you don\u2019t have a degree and you\u2019re looking for work, try these four tips:<\/p>\n Whatever you do, remember that a degree is not just about getting a job. As Wyoming student Daryl Woody, who took the long route through the military and maintenance contracting work before starting his degree, told the New York Times: \u201cThe advice that I\u2019ve been getting from all of the instructors has always been, \u2018Do not let the good job take you from your education.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n First, we retrieved data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2019 (BLS) 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates<\/a> at a national, state and metropolitan area level. We also identified the occupations that don\u2019t require an associated degree as per the BLS Occupational Handbook<\/a> and retrieved the average yearly salary for each role.<\/p>\n For the state and metropolitan area figures, we filtered out occupations that account for fewer than 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (fewer than one in 5,000 jobs). We then isolated the best-paid no-degree jobs nationally, by state and by metropolitan area (focusing on large metropolitan areas of over one million inhabitants).<\/p>\n Finally, we determined the best states and metro areas for no-degree jobs based on how close the average wage for these jobs was to the local average wage (across all occupations). We used a weighted average to calculate the average wage of a no-degree job in each state to account for the large differences in employment rates by occupation.<\/p>\n Data is correct as of May 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A college degree isn’t the only path to a rewarding \u2014 and high-paying \u2014 career. Whether you’re entering the workforce …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":16576,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-save"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","pp_post_mime_type":"","yoast_head":"\nWhat we did<\/h2>\n
Key Findings: The highest-paying jobs that don\u2019t require a degree.<\/h2>\n
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The best-paid no-degree job across the U.S. is at the nuclear power plant.<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nNo-degree jobs in Wyoming are the closest to achieving equal salaries.<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nTransportation, Storage and Distribution Managers top the list as best-paid no-degree jobs in 26 states.<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nNo-degree jobs in the Inland Empire offer a competitive salary.<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nPublic safety personnel account for some of the highest-paid no-degree roles across metropolitan areas.<\/h2>\n
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<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n4 tips for finding a good job without a degree.<\/h2>\n
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Methodology<\/h3>\n