Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Milwaukee (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Milwaukee was $51,160 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 electrical power-line installers and repairers, at a median of $109,000.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $177,730.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Milwaukee. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI)) 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. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI had about 820,780 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 | Milwaukee median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $109,000 | 530 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $105,680 | 590 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $100,430 | 1,540 | $107,230 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $92,910 | 550 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $92,090 | 1,620 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $91,760 | 3,860 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $85,200 | 2,560 | $79,860 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $84,700 | 2,760 | $63,800 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,090 | 3,660 | $76,210 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $81,080 | 2,250 | $62,280 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $80,200 | 680 | $69,990 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $79,770 | 2,620 | $78,000 |
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 | Milwaukee median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $177,730 | 420 | $123,220 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $105,490 | 530 | $96,590 |
| Dental Hygienists | $98,780 | 1,360 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $89,040 | 630 | $82,280 |
| Surgical Assistants | $81,690 | 420 | $66,800 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $80,960 | 470 | $93,530 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $80,180 | 1,610 | $80,110 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $76,200 | 450 | $64,950 |
The most common jobs in Milwaukee, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $37,020 | 30,090 |
| Registered Nurses | $97,360 | 22,400 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $44,840 | 19,810 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,410 | 18,850 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,440 | 17,490 |
| Cashiers | $30,400 | 15,050 |
| Office Clerks, General | $44,040 | 14,820 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,620 | 14,380 |
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 Milwaukee relative to the nation is print binding and finishing workers, with a location quotient of 8.51. That means those jobs make up about 8.51 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,490 of them locally, at a median of $44,360. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk