Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley) (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley) was $48,990 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 $107,740.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $82,060.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley). Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ)) 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. Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ had about 377,180 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 | Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,740 | 710 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $107,500 | 300 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $102,070 | 400 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $102,000 | 490 | $87,520 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $84,530 | 1,610 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $83,240 | 1,330 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $82,490 | 1,280 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $77,930 | 1,960 | $74,450 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $75,080 | 850 | $62,280 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $73,390 | 1,510 | $64,520 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $70,780 | 480 | $69,990 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $70,740 | 3,100 | $72,080 |
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 | Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $82,060 | 530 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $79,960 | 490 | $82,280 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $77,800 | 360 | $63,890 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $76,530 | 690 | $80,110 |
| Firefighters | $73,020 | 300 | $59,280 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $68,120 | 360 | $66,150 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | $65,730 | 310 | $74,310 |
| Paramedics | $64,730 | 300 | $60,600 |
The most common jobs in Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley), for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,380 | 14,840 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $30,380 | 12,030 |
| Registered Nurses | $101,440 | 10,860 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,950 | 9,880 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,090 | 9,110 |
| Retail Salespersons | $32,310 | 9,060 |
| General and Operations Managers | $101,260 | 8,730 |
| Cashiers | $30,560 | 7,550 |
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 31, 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 Allentown-Bethlehem (Lehigh Valley) relative to the nation is foundry mold and coremakers, with a location quotient of 10.97. That means those jobs make up about 10.97 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 340 of them locally, at a median of $43,440. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk