Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Kansas City (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Kansas City was $50,820 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $108,270.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by air traffic controllers at $161,700.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Kansas City. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Kansas City, MO-KS)) 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. Kansas City, MO-KS had about 1,096,110 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 | Kansas City median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $108,270 | 1,300 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $101,740 | 980 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $97,830 | 1,380 | $106,040 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $91,490 | 850 | $93,790 |
| Millwrights | $91,380 | 640 | $65,700 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $84,100 | 5,860 | $79,920 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $82,830 | 1,080 | $61,800 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $81,150 | 330 | $68,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $79,590 | 920 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,060 | 4,360 | $79,860 |
| Tax Preparers | $78,920 | 560 | $54,920 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $78,790 | 330 | $66,710 |
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 | Kansas City median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $161,700 | 430 | $148,080 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $100,450 | 660 | $96,590 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $100,150 | 600 | $74,510 |
| Dental Hygienists | $92,750 | 1,800 | $98,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $90,640 | 1,140 | $93,530 |
| Tool and Die Makers | $85,740 | 450 | $64,050 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $84,040 | 390 | $95,480 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $79,140 | 1,190 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Kansas City, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $90,490 | 31,080 |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | 29,650 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,320 | 26,110 |
| Cashiers | $30,700 | 24,160 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,850 | 23,580 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,350 | 22,240 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $32,780 | 20,870 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,560 | 20,120 |
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 Kansas City relative to the nation is tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents, with a location quotient of 4.97. That means those jobs make up about 4.97 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,980 of them locally, at a median of $50,250. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Kansas City, MO-KS). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk