Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania was $48,210 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 $101,950.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $80,810.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lancaster, PA)) 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. Lancaster, PA had about 252,230 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 | Lancaster, Pennsylvania median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,950 | 400 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $92,770 | 370 | $87,520 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $86,800 | 760 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,360 | 990 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $76,300 | 1,630 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $73,850 | 1,880 | $74,450 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $69,500 | 530 | $62,280 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $66,350 | 350 | $76,590 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $64,180 | 2,790 | $72,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $64,040 | 1,890 | $69,500 |
| Food Service Managers | $63,990 | 420 | $69,390 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $63,530 | 330 | $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 | Lancaster, Pennsylvania median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $80,810 | 370 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $73,910 | 320 | $80,110 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | $63,570 | 330 | $66,150 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $63,290 | 1,740 | $64,400 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $61,780 | 330 | $62,890 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $60,530 | 940 | $61,010 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $58,610 | 830 | $61,860 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,350 | 5,080 | $58,640 |
The most common jobs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $30,280 | 7,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $98,810 | 6,990 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,150 | 6,990 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,580 | 6,870 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,400 | 5,860 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $42,440 | 5,730 |
| Registered Nurses | $89,620 | 5,640 |
| Cashiers | $28,680 | 5,280 |
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 Lancaster, Pennsylvania relative to the nation is farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals, with a location quotient of 8.09. That means those jobs make up about 8.09 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 430 of them locally, at a median of $36,670. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lancaster, PA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk