In short
Plenty of jobs pay a solid wage without a four-year degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the typical entry education for every occupation, and many good ones need only a high school diploma, a certificate of a year or less, an apprenticeship or a two-year degree. The lists below rank those jobs by median pay, projected growth and yearly openings.
How these lists work
We start from the BLS Employment Projections table for 2025 to 2035. It gives each job a typical entry education, a May 2025 median wage, a growth forecast and an estimate of yearly openings. We keep only jobs whose usual way in is something short of a bachelor's degree, then filter for the theme of each list.
Every table has buttons to re-sort by pay, growth or openings. Median pay is the midpoint for everyone in the job, so new workers usually start below it.
The lists
6-month certificates
Certificate programs many schools offer in about six months or less, the jobs they lead to and those jobs' May 2025 median pay.
AI-proof jobs
Jobs that need hands, presence and judgment in the real world, ranked by pay and growth from BLS projections, for people worried about AI.
Associate degree jobs
Jobs where a two-year associate degree is the typical way in, ranked by May 2025 median pay, with growth and openings to 2035.
Trades for women
Skilled trades with strong pay and paid apprenticeships, plus where women in the trades can find pre-apprenticeship and support programs.
Best trades to learn
A balanced shortlist of trades worth learning, weighing median pay, yearly openings and growth through 2035 from BLS projections.
Easiest trades
Construction and repair trades you can start with little or no schooling and short on-the-job training, ranked by openings, with BLS pay.
Fastest growing
Jobs without a bachelor's degree with the fastest projected growth from 2025 to 2035 in BLS projections, with pay and openings.
Healthcare
Hospital, clinic and lab jobs you can train for without a bachelor's degree, with May 2025 median pay, training type and 2025 to 2035 growth.
High-paying
The best-paid jobs that do not need a bachelor's degree, ranked by May 2025 median pay, with the training each one takes and its 10-year outlook.
Highest-paying trades
Construction, repair and installation trades ranked by May 2025 median pay, with how you get in and the projected growth through 2035.
Jobs for introverts
Work with less small talk and more focus, from coding medical records to driving and lab support, with BLS May 2025 pay and outlook.
Helping people
Careers built around helping others, from nursing assistant and EMT to community health worker and therapy assistant, with BLS pay.
$20 an hour
Jobs whose May 2025 median pay is $20 to $25 an hour and that need only a high school diploma or less, ranked by yearly openings.
$25 an hour
Jobs with a May 2025 median of $25 to $30 an hour that do not need a bachelor's degree, with training type and openings.
Low-stress jobs
Calmer jobs with steady routines, less emergency work and fewer angry customers, with BLS May 2025 median pay and training type.
Outdoor jobs
Jobs that keep you outside, from power line work and construction to landscaping and forestry, with BLS May 2025 median pay.
Paid training
Jobs where employers or apprenticeships train you on the clock, ranked by May 2025 BLS median pay, with the type of training each uses.
Recession-proof jobs
Jobs that tend to hold steady when the economy slows, like healthcare, utilities and repair, with BLS pay, growth and openings.
Certificate programs
Jobs where a postsecondary certificate is the usual way in, ranked by May 2025 median pay, from HVAC and LPN to phlebotomy and CDL.
The top earners at a glance
| # | Job | Median pay | Typical way in | Growth 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air traffic controllers (BLS) | $148,080 | Associate degree | 1.7% | 2,100 |
| 2 | Commercial pilots (BLS) | $123,220 | Certificate | 5.2% | 5,200 |
| 3 | Nuclear power reactor operators (BLS) | $122,890 | High school or GED | a decline of 5.9% | 400 |
| 4 | Nuclear technicians (BLS) | $110,240 | Associate degree | 1.1% | 900 |
| 5 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers (BLS) | $109,910 | High school or GED | 5.7% | 1,900 |
| 6 | Ship engineers (BLS) | $109,530 | Certificate | 2.7% | 900 |
| 7 | Power distributors and dispatchers (BLS) | $106,730 | High school or GED | 1.2% | 700 |
| 8 | Radiation therapists (BLS) | $105,310 | Associate degree | 2.8% | 700 |
| 9 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay (BLS) | $103,020 | Certificate | 9.7% | 1,800 |
| 10 | Power plant operators (BLS) | $102,040 | High school or GED | a decline of 5.1% | 2,300 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 (Table 1.2), May 2025 median wages, retrieved 2026-10-09. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or switch fields.
Picking the right list for you
If money is the main worry, start with the high-paying list. If you need to be working soon, the short certificate list favors programs measured in months. Not sure what you even like? Take the career quiz first and come back with a direction.
Questions people ask
What counts as a job without a degree here?
A job where BLS says the typical entry education is a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, some college or an associate degree. We leave out jobs that usually need a bachelor's degree.
Are these salaries what I will start at?
No. They are national medians for everyone in the job, including people with 20 years in. Starting pay is usually lower, and pay varies by state and city.
How often is this data updated?
BLS releases new projections each year. These lists use the 2025 to 2035 projections with May 2025 wages.
Does an associate degree count as no degree?
Strictly it is a degree, but most people searching this mean no four-year degree. We include two-year jobs and label them so you can filter them out.