Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Texas (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Texas was $48,620 in May 2025, below the U.S. median of $50,980.
- The best-paid job here that typically needs only a high school diploma or less was first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $111,000.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by air traffic controllers at $170,080.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Texas. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Texas) and the education level BLS lists as typical for entry into each job (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35), here are the best-paying jobs in the state that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Texas had about 14,071,160 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 1,000 positions in the state, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | Texas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $111,000 | 5,540 | $106,040 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | $102,750 | 2,360 | $78,120 |
| Power Plant Operators | $102,510 | 2,100 | $102,040 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $102,140 | 2,030 | $109,910 |
| Transportation Inspectors | $101,440 | 2,290 | $92,100 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $100,700 | 28,710 | $107,230 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $90,510 | 18,870 | $93,790 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $84,100 | 10,510 | $96,710 |
| Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | $82,120 | 1,350 | $77,320 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $80,510 | 1,840 | $66,710 |
| Gas Plant Operators | $79,910 | 2,550 | $87,820 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $79,000 | 3,780 | $81,410 |
Many of these jobs pay well because they come with long on-the-job training, licensing, physical risk or irregular hours. Several are skilled trades that train through paid apprenticeships.
Top-paying jobs that need a certificate or associate’s degree
Jobs where BLS lists a postsecondary certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as the typical entry credential:
| Occupation | Texas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $170,080 | 2,060 | $148,080 |
| Commercial Pilots | $137,960 | 4,120 | $123,220 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $111,390 | 3,400 | $92,460 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $110,080 | 1,270 | $72,420 |
| Radiation Therapists | $105,770 | 1,000 | $105,310 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $102,470 | 2,360 | $103,020 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $101,170 | 1,060 | $101,370 |
| Dental Hygienists | $99,240 | 16,380 | $98,100 |
The most common jobs in Texas, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,740 | 460,530 |
| General and Operations Managers | $103,230 | 431,310 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,800 | 341,640 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,420 | 337,170 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $24,230 | 329,590 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,840 | 322,710 |
| Registered Nurses | $95,970 | 271,380 |
| Cashiers | $29,230 | 245,730 |
How to use these numbers
- Medians are midpoints. Half of workers in each job earn more and half earn less; new workers usually start well below the median.
- Overtime is not included. BLS wage estimates exclude overtime pay and shift differentials, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice (see the OEWS technical notes).
- Check the training path. “Typical entry education” is what most new workers have; licenses and apprenticeships may still be required.
Published October 27, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point from the same survey: the occupation most concentrated in Texas relative to the nation is wellhead pumpers, with a location quotient of 6.3. That means those jobs make up about 6.3 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 10,250 of them locally, at a median of $75,860. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Texas.