Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in New Haven (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in New Haven was $60,060 in May 2025, above 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 police and detectives, at a median of $106,400.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $98,170.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in New Haven. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes New Haven, CT)) 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. New Haven, CT had about 281,410 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 | New Haven median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $106,400 | 470 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,750 | 360 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $95,420 | 1,110 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $95,010 | 1,260 | $79,920 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,170 | 1,300 | $76,210 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $80,620 | 800 | $76,590 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $79,840 | 450 | $59,850 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $78,990 | 4,260 | $69,500 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $78,770 | 1,060 | $74,450 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $77,620 | 770 | $63,800 |
| Electricians | $77,410 | 990 | $63,190 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $76,940 | 1,670 | $69,990 |
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 | New Haven median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $98,170 | 470 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $96,450 | 800 | $80,110 |
| Firefighters | $79,380 | 570 | $59,280 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $77,370 | 440 | $63,890 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $76,880 | 550 | $61,010 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $73,820 | 1,560 | $64,400 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $73,210 | 1,150 | $61,860 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $63,390 | 780 | $62,890 |
The most common jobs in New Haven, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $104,490 | 10,050 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $43,840 | 9,430 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,720 | 7,370 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,950 | 6,810 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,890 | 6,210 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,290 | 5,900 |
| General and Operations Managers | $134,450 | 5,750 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $63,800 | 4,780 |
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 New Haven relative to the nation is psychology teachers, postsecondary, with a location quotient of 5.37. That means those jobs make up about 5.37 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 400 of them locally, at a median of $77,740. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes New Haven, CT). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk