Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Albuquerque (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Albuquerque was $48,060 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 $101,120.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians at $102,250.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Albuquerque. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Albuquerque, NM)) 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. Albuquerque, NM had about 404,700 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 | Albuquerque median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,120 | 340 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $85,290 | 580 | $106,040 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | $80,630 | 350 | $61,560 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $79,240 | 360 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,090 | 1,560 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $76,940 | 480 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $75,070 | 2,280 | $79,920 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $73,380 | 1,780 | $76,210 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $73,160 | 1,160 | $76,590 |
| Food Service Managers | $67,600 | 760 | $69,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $65,510 | 1,220 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $64,860 | 4,080 | $69,500 |
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 | Albuquerque median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $102,250 | 390 | $78,190 |
| Dental Hygienists | $95,900 | 810 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $79,940 | 600 | $80,110 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $78,730 | 390 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $68,870 | 500 | $82,280 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $62,820 | 600 | $63,890 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $62,410 | 710 | $76,220 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $61,280 | 450 | $66,120 |
The most common jobs in Albuquerque, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $30,170 | 16,860 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,140 | 14,510 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,160 | 11,370 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,950 | 11,020 |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | 10,290 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,790 | 10,270 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,240 | 8,220 |
| General and Operations Managers | $94,640 | 7,670 |
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 Albuquerque relative to the nation is plasterers and stucco masons, with a location quotient of 6.32. That means those jobs make up about 6.32 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 320 of them locally, at a median of $37,450. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Albuquerque, NM). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk