Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Hartford (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Hartford was $59,940 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 $114,640.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers at $99,820.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Hartford. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT)) 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. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT had about 599,770 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 | Hartford median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $114,640 | 400 | $95,320 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $112,860 | 960 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $112,840 | 730 | $106,040 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $99,620 | 750 | $74,690 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $98,690 | 340 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $94,130 | 2,220 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $90,510 | 2,520 | $79,920 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $85,020 | 2,220 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $84,160 | 3,880 | $74,450 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,660 | 2,110 | $76,210 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $81,100 | 410 | $65,510 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $81,100 | 330 | $60,020 |
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 | Hartford median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $99,820 | 380 | $93,530 |
| Dental Hygienists | $98,950 | 1,170 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $98,620 | 390 | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $90,270 | 1,130 | $80,110 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $87,730 | 600 | $79,870 |
| Surgical Technologists | $83,580 | 380 | $64,650 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $81,770 | 550 | $82,280 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $78,970 | 450 | $78,190 |
The most common jobs in Hartford, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,620 | 19,230 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,720 | 14,380 |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | 13,850 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $40,730 | 13,530 |
| General and Operations Managers | $148,080 | 13,370 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,030 | 12,370 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $44,000 | 10,770 |
| Cashiers | $35,180 | 10,040 |
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 30, 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 Hartford relative to the nation is actuaries, with a location quotient of 9.29. That means those jobs make up about 9.29 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 960 of them locally, at a median of $166,800. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk