Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Jackson, Mississippi (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Jackson, Mississippi was $42,850 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 $82,540.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by respiratory therapists at $67,500.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Jackson, Mississippi. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Jackson, MS)) 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. Jackson, MS had about 270,730 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 | Jackson, Mississippi median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $82,540 | 660 | $107,230 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $76,310 | 760 | $62,280 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $72,330 | 560 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $71,810 | 1,530 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $71,740 | 1,660 | $79,860 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $69,530 | 760 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $69,250 | 1,300 | $74,450 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $64,760 | 530 | $95,320 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $63,170 | 4,810 | $44,650 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $63,120 | 450 | $106,040 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $62,470 | 750 | $64,520 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $61,470 | 1,960 | $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 | Jackson, Mississippi median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapists | $67,500 | 510 | $82,280 |
| Dental Hygienists | $67,270 | 320 | $98,100 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $66,910 | 450 | $76,220 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $60,920 | 640 | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologists | $59,990 | 320 | $64,650 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $59,400 | 370 | $63,890 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,100 | 6,590 | $58,640 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $53,510 | 2,050 | $64,400 |
The most common jobs in Jackson, Mississippi, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $29,070 | 8,770 |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | 8,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $22,630 | 8,460 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,130 | 7,800 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,100 | 6,590 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $36,910 | 5,890 |
| Cashiers | $28,000 | 5,320 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $63,170 | 4,810 |
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 Jackson, Mississippi relative to the nation is psychiatric aides, with a location quotient of 16.81. That means those jobs make up about 16.81 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,040 of them locally, at a median of $31,560. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Jackson, MS). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk