Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Lansing (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Lansing was $52,800 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $96,220.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $90,710.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Lansing. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lansing-East Lansing, MI)) 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. Lansing-East Lansing, MI had about 217,180 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 | Lansing median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $96,220 | 330 | $107,230 |
| Electricians | $80,480 | 1,140 | $63,190 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $79,510 | 700 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $78,410 | 830 | $79,920 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $78,190 | 650 | $63,800 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $75,670 | 920 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $74,650 | 750 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $70,600 | 770 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $69,520 | 1,960 | $69,500 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $67,540 | 810 | $76,590 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $67,090 | 1,010 | $69,990 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $66,750 | 380 | $54,210 |
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 | Lansing median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $90,710 | 450 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $78,590 | 340 | $80,110 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $66,680 | 360 | $64,400 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $60,440 | 490 | $61,010 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $60,220 | 400 | $62,890 |
| Firefighters | $57,540 | 410 | $59,280 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $56,710 | 2,820 | $58,640 |
| Dental Assistants | $56,150 | 550 | $48,070 |
The most common jobs in Lansing, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $55,120 | 6,170 |
| Office Clerks, General | $45,830 | 4,830 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,640 | 4,810 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,840 | 4,750 |
| General and Operations Managers | $119,140 | 4,470 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,060 | 4,270 |
| Cashiers | $29,930 | 4,170 |
| Registered Nurses | $84,320 | 4,120 |
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 Lansing relative to the nation is teaching assistants, postsecondary, with a location quotient of 9.19. That means those jobs make up about 9.19 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 2,110 of them locally, at a median of $50,820. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Lansing-East Lansing, MI). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk