Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in El Paso (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in El Paso was $39,510 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 detectives and criminal investigators, at a median of $109,300.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $84,660.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in El Paso. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes El Paso, TX)) 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. El Paso, TX had about 339,120 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 | El Paso median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $109,300 | 1,790 | $93,790 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $85,960 | 710 | $107,230 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,400 | 1,700 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $64,520 | 1,610 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $62,870 | 1,380 | $79,920 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $62,590 | 620 | $60,550 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $62,450 | 450 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $61,270 | 1,000 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $58,720 | 570 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $57,930 | 4,050 | $69,500 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $56,470 | 710 | $64,520 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | $55,420 | 480 | $60,070 |
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 | El Paso median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $84,660 | 320 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $75,490 | 310 | $82,280 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $72,810 | 480 | $80,110 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $71,140 | 320 | $68,380 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $62,670 | 300 | $93,530 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $58,770 | 1,750 | $64,400 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $55,830 | 490 | $62,890 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $52,370 | 1,280 | $61,860 |
The most common jobs in El Paso, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,200 | 14,310 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $23,030 | 13,520 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,640 | 10,680 |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,330 | 10,070 |
| General and Operations Managers | $77,770 | 7,850 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,270 | 7,850 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $34,400 | 7,640 |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | 7,320 |
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 El Paso relative to the nation is shoe and leather workers and repairers, with a location quotient of 21.22. That means those jobs make up about 21.22 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 340 of them locally, at a median of $26,860. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes El Paso, TX). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk