Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Raleigh (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Raleigh was $51,990 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 $110,780.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $98,800.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Raleigh. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Raleigh-Cary, NC)) 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. Raleigh-Cary, NC had about 743,120 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 | Raleigh median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $110,780 | 850 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $102,610 | 690 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $101,680 | 1,820 | $87,520 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $78,930 | 550 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $77,690 | 6,080 | $79,920 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $77,210 | 630 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $76,450 | 3,120 | $79,860 |
| Food Service Managers | $76,160 | 1,640 | $69,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $75,230 | 1,680 | $74,450 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,220 | 7,550 | $72,080 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $68,560 | 8,970 | $69,990 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $67,840 | 1,760 | $74,690 |
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 | Raleigh median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $98,800 | 1,220 | $98,100 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $91,600 | 330 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $87,820 | 430 | $82,280 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $86,130 | 430 | $96,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $78,470 | 840 | $93,530 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $72,640 | 500 | $78,190 |
| Massage Therapists | $71,480 | 650 | $58,450 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $68,210 | 1,080 | $80,110 |
The most common jobs in Raleigh, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $33,100 | 18,660 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,470 | 17,060 |
| Cashiers | $29,770 | 14,350 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,900 | 13,620 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,080 | 12,790 |
| Registered Nurses | $84,830 | 12,780 |
| Software Developers | $132,770 | 12,580 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,220 | 12,300 |
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 Raleigh relative to the nation is farm and home management educators, with a location quotient of 18.27. That means those jobs make up about 18.27 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 720 of them locally, at a median of $64,280. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Raleigh-Cary, NC). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk