Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Baltimore (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Baltimore was $59,070 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 detectives and criminal investigators, at a median of $128,440.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $116,130.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Baltimore. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD)) 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. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD had about 1,356,680 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 | Baltimore median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $128,440 | 490 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $124,660 | 3,440 | $106,040 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $122,690 | 400 | $109,910 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $107,170 | 930 | $95,320 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $103,540 | 2,180 | $107,230 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $98,700 | 4,280 | $78,000 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $88,850 | 1,140 | $74,330 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $87,950 | 410 | $68,080 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $83,530 | 410 | $78,620 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $83,510 | 1,360 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $82,690 | 4,970 | $79,860 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $81,670 | 2,340 | $69,990 |
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 | Baltimore median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $116,130 | 1,900 | $98,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $110,060 | 1,650 | $93,530 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $102,980 | 4,910 | $76,220 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $102,860 | 350 | $95,480 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $100,940 | 580 | $79,870 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $98,890 | 910 | $96,590 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $94,330 | 930 | $78,190 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $88,020 | 960 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Baltimore, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $117,040 | 44,960 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,800 | 39,920 |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | 30,930 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $49,220 | 29,780 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $43,250 | 28,350 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $37,640 | 26,880 |
| Cashiers | $33,760 | 22,300 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $33,090 | 21,090 |
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 29, 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 Baltimore relative to the nation is computer network support specialists, with a location quotient of 3.85. That means those jobs make up about 3.85 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 4,910 of them locally, at a median of $102,980. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk