Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Greenville, South Carolina (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Greenville, South Carolina was $46,580 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 $109,520.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $85,290.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Greenville, South Carolina. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC)) 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. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC had about 434,900 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 | Greenville, South Carolina median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $109,520 | 670 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $79,180 | 750 | $87,520 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $78,830 | 430 | $78,000 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $77,700 | 500 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $76,650 | 2,810 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,150 | 1,700 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $74,850 | 2,640 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $73,700 | 300 | $106,040 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $71,130 | 680 | $76,590 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $69,680 | 360 | $62,470 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $64,700 | 670 | $69,990 |
| Food Service Managers | $64,390 | 800 | $69,390 |
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 | Greenville, South Carolina median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $85,290 | 600 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $84,530 | 320 | $96,590 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $81,450 | 510 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $78,390 | 400 | $82,280 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $75,360 | 400 | $76,220 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $74,140 | 380 | $68,380 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $73,790 | 820 | $66,120 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $69,580 | 390 | $74,510 |
The most common jobs in Greenville, South Carolina, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,850 | 12,280 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,520 | 11,960 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,840 | 11,830 |
| Cashiers | $29,080 | 10,250 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $40,840 | 9,860 |
| Registered Nurses | $81,400 | 9,730 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,010 | 9,430 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $19,950 | 9,090 |
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 Greenville, South Carolina relative to the nation is textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders, with a location quotient of 14.48. That means those jobs make up about 14.48 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 530 of them locally, at a median of $39,760. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk