- A high school diploma or an associate degree can sometimes lead to high-paying work.
- About a dozen jobs that typically don't need a bachelor's degree had six-figure median annual pay.
- Air traffic controller is a high-paying job that doesn't usually require a bachelor's.
If you don't have a bachelor's degree but want to earn a lot, you could consider becoming an air traffic controller, a power plant operator, or a dental hygienist.
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.
Almost a dozen jobs that typically don't need a bachelor's degree had a median annual pay in the six figures. Radiation therapists and nuclear technicians, where the typical requirement for entry is an associate degree, and power distributors and dispatchers, who typically need a high school diploma or the equivalent, had median annual wages of more than $100,000.
Below are the 20 highest-paying jobs that typically don't need a bachelor's or more advanced degree. Employment and pay estimates are for 2024, and the education needed for entry reflects 2023.
20. Models
Median annual pay: $89,990
Typical education: No formal educational credential
Employment estimate: 5,350
19. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
Median annual pay: $92,430
Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Employment estimate: 93,680
18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Median annual pay: $92,560
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 123,680
17. Postmasters and mail superintendents
Median annual pay: $92,730
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 13,810
16. Detectives and criminal investigators
Median annual pay: $93,580
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 110,790
15. Dental hygienists
Median annual pay: $94,260
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment estimate: 219,070
14. Nuclear medicine technologists
Median annual pay: $97,020
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment estimate: 16,960
13. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
Median annual pay: $97,540
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 34,860
12. Power plant operators
Median annual pay: $99,670
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 30,720
11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
Median annual pay: $100,940
Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Employment estimate: 23,040
10. Ship engineers
Median annual pay: $101,320
Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Employment estimate: 8,580
9. Radiation therapists
Median annual pay: $101,990
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment estimate: 18,700
8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Median annual pay: $102,010
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 213,000
7. Nuclear technicians
Median annual pay: $104,240
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment estimate: 5,990
6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Median annual pay: $105,980
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 153,130
5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
Median annual pay: $106,580
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 23,340
4. Power distributors and dispatchers
Median annual pay: $107,240
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 9,180
3. Nuclear power reactor operators
Median annual pay: $122,610
Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent
Employment estimate: 5,720
2. Commercial pilots
Median annual pay: $122,670
Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Employment estimate: 51,830
1. Air traffic controllers
Median annual pay: $144,580
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment estimate: 22,400
