Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Huntsville, Alabama (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Huntsville, Alabama was $51,740 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 mechanics, installers, and repairers, at a median of $75,610.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians at $68,690.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Huntsville, Alabama. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Huntsville, AL)) 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. Huntsville, AL had about 266,650 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 | Huntsville, Alabama median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,610 | 1,200 | $79,860 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $74,710 | 440 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $68,010 | 2,670 | $74,450 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $66,660 | 340 | $65,510 |
| Food Service Managers | $66,240 | 560 | $69,390 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $65,070 | 1,950 | $72,080 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $64,550 | 980 | $76,210 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $64,460 | 1,810 | $69,990 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $63,860 | 470 | $62,280 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $63,370 | 1,490 | $64,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $62,950 | 2,030 | $69,500 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $62,650 | 1,330 | $79,920 |
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 | Huntsville, Alabama median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $68,690 | 650 | $78,190 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $64,910 | 320 | $79,870 |
| Dental Hygienists | $62,370 | 360 | $98,100 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $61,450 | 370 | $63,890 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $61,100 | 520 | $80,110 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $59,860 | 990 | $64,400 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,690 | 2,570 | $58,640 |
| Surgical Technologists | $51,710 | 450 | $64,650 |
The most common jobs in Huntsville, Alabama, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $46,390 | 7,570 |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | 7,030 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,120 | 7,030 |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | 6,800 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $34,620 | 5,330 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,180 | 5,030 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $131,090 | 4,880 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $46,090 | 4,700 |
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 Huntsville, Alabama relative to the nation is aerospace engineers, with a location quotient of 42.03. That means those jobs make up about 42.03 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 4,880 of them locally, at a median of $131,090. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Huntsville, AL). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk