Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Alaska (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Alaska was $61,000 in May 2025, above the U.S. median of $50,980.
- The best-paid job here that typically needs only a high school diploma or less was service unit operators, oil and gas, at a median of $106,480.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $100,120.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Alaska. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Alaska) 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. Alaska had about 325,570 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 | Alaska median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $106,480 | 1,090 | $58,160 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $102,140 | 2,690 | $79,920 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $99,130 | 1,260 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $98,110 | 2,720 | $79,860 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $93,920 | 1,200 | $63,800 |
| Electricians | $89,440 | 1,870 | $63,190 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $82,670 | 1,430 | $65,510 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $77,960 | 1,110 | $74,450 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $77,810 | 3,050 | $59,850 |
| Carpenters | $73,860 | 2,560 | $60,580 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,840 | 5,690 | $69,500 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $66,210 | 1,320 | $76,590 |
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 | Alaska median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $100,120 | 1,000 | $123,220 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $91,150 | 1,470 | $79,870 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $70,100 | 3,420 | $58,640 |
| Medical Records Specialists | $61,090 | 1,070 | $51,140 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $60,840 | 1,420 | $50,620 |
| Firefighters | $58,830 | 1,040 | $59,280 |
| Dental Assistants | $57,710 | 1,140 | $48,070 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $56,430 | 4,580 | $50,670 |
The most common jobs in Alaska, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $37,290 | 7,890 |
| Registered Nurses | $109,480 | 7,510 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $40,310 | 6,770 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,740 | 6,530 |
| General and Operations Managers | $116,630 | 6,020 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $33,280 | 5,900 |
| Cashiers | $36,130 | 5,810 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,840 | 5,690 |
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 28, 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 Alaska relative to the nation is tour and travel guides, with a location quotient of 14.79. That means those jobs make up about 14.79 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,660 of them locally, at a median of $44,210. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Alaska. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk