Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Las Vegas (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Las Vegas was $46,670 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 elevator and escalator installers and repairers, at a median of $141,920.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $109,210.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Las Vegas. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV)) 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. Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV had about 1,136,960 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 | Las Vegas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $141,920 | 410 | $109,910 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $132,100 | 780 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $97,680 | 1,350 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $96,890 | 540 | $95,320 |
| Gambling Managers | $94,580 | 560 | $93,220 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $94,470 | 450 | $93,790 |
| Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity | $90,460 | 2,180 | $59,050 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $84,450 | 300 | $60,020 |
| Lodging Managers | $82,410 | 360 | $69,250 |
| Riggers | $82,130 | 770 | $62,640 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $81,680 | 2,270 | $58,940 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $80,630 | 6,230 | $79,920 |
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 | Las Vegas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $109,210 | 950 | $98,100 |
| Commercial Pilots | $105,340 | 940 | $123,220 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $96,660 | 750 | $78,190 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $91,940 | 1,900 | $79,870 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $86,830 | 590 | $93,530 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $85,790 | 2,010 | $76,220 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $85,110 | 1,020 | $82,280 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $84,390 | 450 | $96,590 |
The most common jobs in Las Vegas, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Waiters and Waitresses | $27,110 | 36,160 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,950 | 36,150 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,720 | 33,760 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,940 | 29,590 |
| General and Operations Managers | $97,290 | 27,290 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $39,310 | 26,480 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,560 | 25,290 |
| Security Guards | $37,210 | 23,800 |
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 Las Vegas relative to the nation is gambling dealers, with a location quotient of 25.31. That means those jobs make up about 25.31 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 15,530 of them locally, at a median of $25,690. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk