Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Lexington, Kentucky (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Lexington, Kentucky was $48,620 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 first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, at a median of $78,270.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $80,110.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Lexington, Kentucky. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lexington-Fayette, KY)) 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. Lexington-Fayette, KY had about 286,910 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 | Lexington, Kentucky median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,270 | 1,280 | $79,860 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $77,700 | 600 | $95,320 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $77,310 | 560 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $76,490 | 1,490 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $76,410 | 1,890 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $72,860 | 350 | $87,520 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $64,840 | 580 | $76,590 |
| Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks | $64,660 | 1,410 | $59,650 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $62,090 | 520 | $60,550 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $61,870 | 810 | $63,800 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $61,810 | 2,140 | $72,080 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $61,720 | 1,090 | $76,210 |
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 | Lexington, Kentucky median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $80,110 | 410 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $80,040 | 430 | $82,280 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $79,010 | 660 | $80,110 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $63,640 | 640 | $62,890 |
| Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars | $63,500 | 310 | $68,020 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $62,730 | 310 | $68,380 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $61,480 | 970 | $64,400 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $60,280 | 740 | $61,010 |
The most common jobs in Lexington, Kentucky, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $59,730 | 8,650 |
| General and Operations Managers | $80,440 | 8,100 |
| Registered Nurses | $79,040 | 8,070 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,100 | 7,810 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $41,910 | 5,500 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,990 | 5,500 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,080 | 5,430 |
| Cashiers | $29,590 | 5,250 |
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 November 9, 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 Lexington, Kentucky relative to the nation is social science research assistants, with a location quotient of 6.6. That means those jobs make up about 6.6 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 370 of them locally, at a median of $51,780. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lexington-Fayette, KY). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk