Careers with no college degree required
141 occupations where BLS lists the typical entry education as no formal credential, a high school diploma or some college, sorted by median pay.
Updated
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, storage, and distribution managers | $107,230 | +6.1% | 18,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | $95,320 | +10.3% | 10,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Detectives and criminal investigators | $93,790 | +0.2% | 7,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $89,900 | -3.4% | 70,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators | $78,000 | -5.5% | 20,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants | $76,590 | +0.0% | 43,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | $76,210 | +3.5% | 51,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Construction and building inspectors | $74,690 | +0.0% | 14,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | $74,330 | -3.4% | 8,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Real estate brokers | $73,220 | +0.8% | 7,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $72,080 | -0.9% | 99,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Property, real estate, and community association managers | $69,990 | +3.7% | 36,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food service managers | $69,390 | +5.8% | 38,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Lodging managers | $69,250 | +3.8% | 5,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | $65,510 | +6.7% | 15,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Advertising sales agents | $64,820 | -7.2% | 7,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | $64,520 | +17.8% | 44,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $63,800 | +6.8% | 42,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Flight attendants | $63,580 | +8.8% | 18,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electricians | $63,190 | +9.2% | 72,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Structural iron and steel workers | $62,780 | +3.1% | 5,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Chefs and head cooks | $62,470 | +6.6% | 25,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Insurance sales agents | $62,280 | +3.3% | 43,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Postal service clerks | $62,130 | -0.3% | 5,300 | No formal educational credential |
| Computer user support specialists | $61,860 | -3.5% | 39,700 | Some college, no degree |
| Sheet metal workers | $61,800 | +2.5% | 9,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists | $61,770 | +3.6% | 24,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Carpenters | $60,580 | +3.9% | 62,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Postal service mail carriers | $60,550 | -0.3% | 19,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | $60,020 | -5.7% | 10,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | $59,850 | +4.6% | 39,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Production, planning, and expediting clerks | $59,650 | -1.3% | 32,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity | $59,050 | +4.1% | 21,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Correctional officers and jailers | $58,940 | -7.4% | 28,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers | $58,930 | +2.5% | 6,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Machinists | $58,750 | +1.0% | 26,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators | $58,470 | -5.3% | 7,300 | No formal educational credential |
| Payroll and timekeeping clerks | $58,260 | -15.9% | 11,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $57,020 | +1.6% | 13,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Legal secretaries and administrative assistants | $55,570 | -5.2% | 18,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Roofers | $55,440 | +5.3% | 12,000 | No formal educational credential |
| Automotive body and related repairers | $54,890 | +3.7% | 12,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Surveying and mapping technicians | $54,240 | +5.8% | 6,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Eligibility interviewers, government programs | $54,210 | +1.6% | 12,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $53,750 | +2.4% | 40,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Public safety telecommunicators | $53,040 | +3.7% | 9,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Real estate sales agents | $52,830 | +1.7% | 32,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Community health workers | $51,850 | +12.7% | 7,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | $50,960 | +4.2% | 7,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer numerically controlled tool operators | $50,690 | -9.4% | 12,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks | $50,670 | -5.6% | 144,100 | Some college, no degree |
| Travel agents | $50,160 | +0.2% | 5,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Loan interviewers and clerks | $50,020 | -2.4% | 10,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Refuse and recyclable material collectors | $49,690 | +2.1% | 15,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | $49,590 | +4.2% | 148,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | $49,400 | +3.0% | 24,900 | No formal educational credential |
| Insurance claims and policy processing clerks | $49,230 | -1.9% | 17,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Court, municipal, and license clerks | $48,700 | +3.4% | 17,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | $48,570 | +2.5% | 66,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Billing and posting clerks | $48,500 | -0.1% | 37,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders | $48,250 | +2.5% | 15,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bus drivers, school | $47,920 | +0.7% | 56,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $47,720 | +0.7% | 5,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive | $47,540 | -6.0% | 163,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Opticians, dispensing | $47,260 | +4.2% | 5,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $47,180 | +0.6% | 11,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors | $47,160 | +7.3% | 68,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Construction laborers | $47,120 | +7.3% | 120,000 | No formal educational credential |
| Bill and account collectors | $47,030 | -10.4% | 11,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | $46,680 | -2.9% | 6,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial truck and tractor operators | $46,420 | +1.5% | 64,700 | No formal educational credential |
| Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $46,330 | -10.5% | 13,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Order clerks | $46,170 | -17.5% | 6,300 | Some college, no degree |
| Social and human service assistants | $45,930 | +7.4% | 48,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Medical secretaries and administrative assistants | $45,930 | +4.8% | 89,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Interviewers, except eligibility and loan | $45,920 | -10.4% | 13,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers | $45,850 | +5.0% | 25,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Pharmacy technicians | $45,750 | +6.4% | 44,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks | $45,260 | -7.6% | 61,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Pest control workers | $45,250 | +5.5% | 13,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Office clerks, general | $45,010 | -6.0% | 249,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Light truck drivers | $44,860 | +6.3% | 107,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Customer service representatives | $44,770 | -5.3% | 289,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Photographers | $44,660 | -0.7% | 10,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators | $44,650 | +1.1% | 138,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks | $44,390 | +2.5% | 11,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $44,350 | -3.4% | 13,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| File clerks | $43,600 | -15.8% | 5,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | $43,380 | -2.5% | 5,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tutors | $43,350 | -0.2% | 34,200 | Some college, no degree |
| Tellers | $43,030 | -13.2% | 26,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Helpers--electricians | $42,670 | +0.6% | 6,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food batchmakers | $42,290 | +6.5% | 23,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Taxi drivers | $42,100 | +11.5% | 20,400 | No formal educational credential |
| Agricultural equipment operators | $41,730 | +8.6% | 10,100 | No formal educational credential |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand | $40,240 | +1.8% | 340,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Butchers and meat cutters | $40,140 | +2.4% | 15,100 | No formal educational credential |
| Slaughterers and meat packers | $40,130 | +2.0% | 7,700 | No formal educational credential |
| Animal trainers | $39,990 | +4.2% | 6,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | $39,150 | +4.7% | 149,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Concierges | $38,950 | +2.6% | 6,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Driver/sales workers | $38,770 | +7.9% | 45,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Parts salespersons | $38,630 | +3.0% | 30,000 | No formal educational credential |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers | $38,300 | +5.7% | 17,000 | No formal educational credential |
| Orderlies | $38,290 | +4.0% | 7,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | $38,150 | +9.1% | 23,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tour and travel guides | $38,120 | +6.3% | 11,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Security guards | $38,020 | +0.9% | 156,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Receptionists and information clerks | $38,010 | -1.7% | 105,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Cooks, institution and cafeteria | $37,450 | +2.8% | 62,900 | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, restaurant | $37,390 | +12.1% | 218,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Floral designers | $37,360 | -5.6% | 5,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Stockers and order fillers | $37,330 | +8.9% | 430,700 | No formal educational credential |
| Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs | $37,290 | +7.1% | 35,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Bakers | $37,160 | +5.5% | 36,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Library assistants, clerical | $36,910 | -6.4% | 12,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | $36,840 | +2.2% | 321,800 | No formal educational credential |
| Teaching assistants, except postsecondary | $36,780 | -0.3% | 176,200 | Some college, no degree |
| Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals | $36,670 | -3.2% | 26,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Recreation workers | $36,560 | +4.3% | 67,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Packers and packagers, hand | $36,280 | -5.0% | 61,800 | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, short order | $35,880 | -5.2% | 17,400 | No formal educational credential |
| Cleaners of vehicles and equipment | $35,830 | +3.9% | 51,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Home health and personal care aides | $35,800 | +18.1% | 760,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse | $35,660 | -2.4% | 72,500 | No formal educational credential |
| Retail salespersons | $35,410 | -0.3% | 520,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Food servers, nonrestaurant | $35,360 | +4.5% | 48,800 | No formal educational credential |
| Animal caretakers | $35,360 | +12.1% | 62,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Food preparation workers | $35,320 | -3.0% | 135,700 | No formal educational credential |
| Physical therapist aides | $35,240 | +4.0% | 6,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Waiters and waitresses | $35,230 | +2.0% | 423,100 | No formal educational credential |
| Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks | $35,070 | +1.8% | 35,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Childcare workers | $34,980 | -2.0% | 150,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bartenders | $34,340 | +5.0% | 121,200 | No formal educational credential |
| Gambling dealers | $34,320 | +3.4% | 13,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers | $33,980 | +5.3% | 95,300 | No formal educational credential |
| Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers | $33,580 | +5.5% | 45,400 | No formal educational credential |
| Cashiers | $32,880 | -6.5% | 521,300 | No formal educational credential |
| Fast food and counter workers | $31,200 | +5.8% | 827,400 | No formal educational credential |
| Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop | $31,200 | +3.4% | 107,100 | No formal educational credential |
| Cooks, fast food | $30,890 | +0.6% | 86,400 | No formal educational credential |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 ↗. Employment is for 2025, projections to 2035; median annual wage is for 2025; openings are the projected annual average for 2025–35. Figures are national, not local. Data last downloaded Oct 16, 2026.