Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Indiana (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Indiana was $47,860 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 $108,720.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $92,330.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Indiana. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Indiana) 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. Indiana had about 3,201,220 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 | Indiana median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $108,720 | 4,190 | $107,230 |
| Power Plant Operators | $107,000 | 1,190 | $102,040 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $102,040 | 2,540 | $95,320 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $92,790 | 1,030 | $81,410 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $84,650 | 3,820 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $82,530 | 16,450 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $81,540 | 1,700 | $106,040 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | $81,260 | 1,720 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,650 | 13,210 | $79,860 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $79,580 | 11,520 | $59,850 |
| Millwrights | $77,140 | 1,760 | $65,700 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $76,320 | 11,280 | $63,800 |
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 | Indiana median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $92,330 | 5,020 | $98,100 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $92,000 | 1,010 | $92,460 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $88,310 | 1,290 | $93,530 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $86,880 | 1,030 | $95,480 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $85,040 | 1,380 | $96,590 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $79,730 | 3,170 | $82,280 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | $79,380 | 1,380 | $74,310 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $77,640 | 5,470 | $80,110 |
The most common jobs in Indiana, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $41,340 | 103,200 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,790 | 97,290 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $45,550 | 85,610 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,530 | 83,670 |
| Registered Nurses | $83,500 | 68,980 |
| Cashiers | $29,670 | 68,350 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,250 | 66,420 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,290 | 59,090 |
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 Indiana relative to the nation is fiberglass laminators and fabricators, with a location quotient of 6.0. That means those jobs make up about 6.0 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 2,010 of them locally, at a median of $45,820. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Indiana.