Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Los Angeles (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Los Angeles was $55,850 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 first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $167,600.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by air traffic controllers at $173,020.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Los Angeles. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA)) 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 metro area that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA had about 6,271,560 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 300 positions in the metro area, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | Los Angeles median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $167,600 | 4,840 | $106,040 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $140,600 | 850 | $109,910 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $130,440 | 2,140 | $95,320 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $127,890 | 3,240 | $93,790 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $127,500 | 12,260 | $107,230 |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $124,090 | 530 | $58,340 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $121,980 | 24,720 | $76,210 |
| Boilermakers | $110,370 | 320 | $76,410 |
| Models | $109,820 | 400 | $48,470 |
| Costume Attendants | $106,810 | 1,210 | $50,400 |
| Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $106,730 | 330 | $106,730 |
| Power Plant Operators | $105,870 | 540 | $102,040 |
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 | Los Angeles median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $173,020 | 690 | $148,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $169,350 | 2,410 | $93,530 |
| Radiation Therapists | $169,150 | 480 | $105,310 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $156,410 | 460 | $101,370 |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $140,870 | 780 | $97,150 |
| Dental Hygienists | $122,980 | 7,940 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $119,430 | 3,550 | $96,590 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $118,990 | 540 | $103,020 |
The most common jobs in Los Angeles, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 | 385,530 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $42,110 | 160,270 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,700 | 130,650 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,390 | 120,720 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,100 | 112,270 |
| Cashiers | $36,980 | 109,940 |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | 109,360 |
| General and Operations Managers | $125,830 | 104,610 |
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 Los Angeles relative to the nation is makeup artists, theatrical and performance, with a location quotient of 8.23. That means those jobs make up about 8.23 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 780 of them locally, at a median of $140,870. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk