Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Atlanta (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Atlanta was $51,170 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $127,520.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by air traffic controllers at $186,640.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Atlanta. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA)) 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. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA had about 2,889,670 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 | Atlanta median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $127,520 | 4,460 | $107,230 |
| Transportation Inspectors | $107,640 | 480 | $92,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $90,140 | 6,880 | $87,520 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $83,570 | 2,660 | $95,320 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $83,500 | 510 | $109,910 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $81,860 | 4,460 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $80,500 | 16,920 | $79,920 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $80,140 | 640 | $51,610 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $78,950 | 33,900 | $69,990 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,310 | 12,920 | $79,860 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $76,700 | 6,380 | $69,990 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $75,990 | 9,660 | $62,280 |
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 | Atlanta median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $186,640 | 810 | $148,080 |
| Commercial Pilots | $146,880 | 560 | $123,220 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologists | $103,900 | 310 | $101,370 |
| Dental Hygienists | $100,370 | 4,710 | $98,100 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $100,180 | 1,010 | $95,480 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $98,300 | 2,770 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $95,520 | 2,670 | $82,280 |
| Avionics Technicians | $89,180 | 650 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Atlanta, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,850 | 84,970 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,780 | 80,730 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,020 | 78,460 |
| General and Operations Managers | $111,410 | 69,320 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,710 | 59,990 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | 56,460 |
| Cashiers | $30,010 | 51,180 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,160 | 50,970 |
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 Atlanta relative to the nation is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, with a location quotient of 4.52. That means those jobs make up about 4.52 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 8,700 of them locally, at a median of $618,090. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk