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

[littlemissmartypants]

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.

https://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paying-jobs-no-bachelors-degree-2026-6?utm_campaign=business-link-post&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

[mitch96]

1. Paywall but here is a taste of what the google machine says

Air Traffic Controller: $135,000 median
Commercial Pilot: $115,000 median
Elevator and Escalator Installer/Repairer: $109,910 median
Ship Engineer: $109,530 median
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager: $107,230 median
Power Distributor/Dispatcher: $106,730 median
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives: $106,040 median
Radiation Therapist: $105,310 median
Electrical and Electronics Repairer (Powerhouse): $103,020 median
General and Operations Manager: $129,330 median

[Blue Full Moon]

2. It's in theory that they don't.

College degree is required until they hire nepo baby.

[harumph]

3. Many of those require a 2 year degree that can be every bit as challenging (or more) as a bachelors

After completion of required certs, you're probably going to find yourself apprenticing for another 2 years. For example, "ship engineer."
I suppose you can serve in the Navy or Merchant Marine in an engineering rate for a few years...
Do these types of jobs pay well? Definitely. However, none of those are roles one can fill immediately after HS.

[mitch96]

7. I went to a medical Radiology school. Two years with hands on experience. Qualified to do routine exams

It took about an additional 2 years in the field to "get good".
I went to Marine Engineering school to become 3 rd Assistant after taking a Coast Guard test.
VERY DIFFICULT and did not finish...
I also went to Aircraft Maintenance school to get my FAA A&P license.. That was fun!!! Never went into the field but learned a bunch of practice stuff this gear head could use....
Went to night school to get my Associates degree. What a joke. They just wanted my money for the piece of paper with AA on it...
Each case life got in the way...
And so it goes...
m

[harumph]

11. I've had my share of "...life got in the way moments" as well.

Here's to smoother seas in the future for both of us!

[mitch96]

12. "Here's to smoother seas in the future for both of us!" ...Back at ya!! I've had a great life.

Now that I'm in the closing scene of this three act play called life I'm a lucky man...
I plan to die young as late as possible!!!
m

[Johnny2X2X]

4. $1M more in career earnings if you have a degree

On average (average of median incomes), you'll make about $1 Million more over your career with a 4 year degree vs a high school diploma. $1.5M with a Masters. These are projections for today's college grads.

There's a constant drumbeat against college right now in the media and a lot of that is coming from the right on social media. A college degree is still the surest path to the middle class for most people. I feel like there's a bit of anti-intellectualism at play in the sudden and constant downplaying of what a degree means to most people. It's still the ticket to a better life. It's still a passport to all sorts of opportunities. It's still the way to get most of the high paying jobs.

The rich and powerful aren't skipping college for their kids, that's for sure.

And I get the costs of college are tougher now than ever, but people are still going to community college to lessen the costs, people are still getting great degrees that give them great careers.

And I feel like from the Right, showing good paying jobs that don't require a degree is also a way of saying, "the rest of you should settle". They don't believe blue collar people's children should be running anything, should be the ones with the corner offices, or the fancy titles. Sure, some of these jobs have great salaries, 6 figures is a nice living. But does anyone think rich people think, "Oh boy, my son or daughter can make $100K?" There are people in corner offices everywhere that had blue collar origins, they're making $250K, some are making $500K, some are becoming CFOs and CEOs. There are doctors and lawyers making $500K or $1M. There are engineers making $200K, $300K, and even $500K. Sure, few get those jobs, but almost all of the ones who get them have 4 or 6 year degrees.

And people will inevitably bring up some random French Poetry, or Cultural studies BA, but ignore the fact that those people make more money than high school grads too. There are a lot of decent jobs that just require any degree. And those types of degrees are the exception, most college degrees are actually useful in something like business, science, engineering, biology, medicine, and many others.

I have to wonder what's behind the right's crusade against a college education? They want less educated voters? They want average people to accept less? They are afraid people become more liberal the more they learn?

[Zorro]

5. The right's crusade against a college education

is based on on their belief that higher education should teach students WHAT to think, not HOW to think.

[Johnny2X2X]

6. It's taking hold

I'm a regular at a bar for happy hour that is blue collar. None of these people think sending your kids to college is worth it.

When I grew up, that was why my dad worked at the GM, so he could send us to private school that would increase our chances at getting into and succeeding at college. That was his whole work ethic, to give us a better life by having more opportunities than he did.

Now I see these blue collar people and talk to them, it's all, "College is pretty useless now." "You can't get a job with a degree anymore." "AI will be taking all the white collar jobs anyway." It's an epidemic of this type of thought. College grads are unemployed at roughly half the rate of high school grads. College grads will make $40K more a year on average (median). That is getting lost. And I see it online everywhere right now, people putting down a college education and saying it's just not worth it.

We need more educated workers, we need more degreed workers. It drives our economy forward. AI isn't changing that, in fact there's evidence it will amplify it.

[uponit7771]

8. Yep, while the mega rich continue to send their kids to elite schools

[Kaleva]

9. To get the most out of a college degree, one needs innate intelligence

A person with an IQ of a 100 ought to , with hard work, successfully earn a BA. However, about half the population will score less then 100 on an IQ test.

[haele]

10. Anything with languages or culture in general can be high paying ..

Businesses and organizations that have international contacts or markets need sales, marketing, strategy, and PR people who can leverage their liberal arts degrees to edit communication styles, understand other cultures or practices, or anticipate what might or might not be acceptable to customers or stakeholder/shareholders that aren't used to a particular leadership type or corporate culture.
They also tend to find jobs in design, especially leveraged design.
A good Tradesman's Certification, like Auto Mechanic, Plumbing or Electrician can also be a lucrative career.