Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Tennessee (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Tennessee was $47,380 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $100,740.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $117,480.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Tennessee. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Tennessee) 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. Tennessee had about 3,278,760 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 | Tennessee median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $100,740 | 4,910 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $85,980 | 4,510 | $87,520 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $83,660 | 3,900 | $95,320 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $78,010 | 6,390 | $78,000 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $77,090 | 1,860 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,830 | 15,070 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $74,770 | 4,430 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $74,470 | 17,770 | $79,920 |
| Tire Builders | $74,100 | 1,360 | $57,390 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $69,810 | 3,820 | $62,470 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $68,190 | 5,360 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $66,390 | 49,870 | $69,500 |
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 | Tennessee median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $117,480 | 1,030 | $123,220 |
| Dental Hygienists | $84,640 | 4,570 | $98,100 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $81,040 | 4,670 | $79,870 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $80,640 | 1,880 | $96,590 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $78,610 | 1,350 | $95,480 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $77,920 | 2,210 | $93,530 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $77,640 | 2,660 | $76,220 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | $76,650 | 1,030 | $74,310 |
The most common jobs in Tennessee, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,160 | 105,870 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,470 | 90,690 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,950 | 87,380 |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | 72,200 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,620 | 64,890 |
| General and Operations Managers | $106,970 | 63,720 |
| Cashiers | $28,590 | 63,350 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,140 | 60,130 |
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 Tennessee relative to the nation is forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, with a location quotient of 6.1. That means those jobs make up about 6.1 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,140 of them locally, at a median of $43,810. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Tennessee.