No Diploma Required: The Best-Paying Jobs With No Formal Education Requirement
- BLS lists 94 detailed occupations where the typical entry credential is “no formal educational credential.” 21 of them have a U.S. median wage at or above the all-jobs median of $50,980.
- The best-paid is loading and moving machine operators, underground mining, at a median of $74,500 in May 2025.
- The job in this group with the most projected openings each year is fast food and counter workers, with about 827,400 openings a year through 2035.
This list covers jobs with no formal education requirement. It combines the government’s May 2025 wage survey (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) with the education level BLS says is typical for entry and its 10-year employment outlook (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35). “Typical” means what most new workers have when they start; some people in each job have more or less schooling.
The 15 highest-paying jobs with no formal education requirement
Occupations with at least 5,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage. Growth is the BLS projection for 2025–35.
| Occupation | U.S. median | Jobs | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | 5,930 | -15.8% |
| Tapers | $68,270 | 12,840 | -1.6% |
| Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $67,890 | 12,600 | +0.8% |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $66,710 | 15,070 | +5.5% |
| Postal Service Clerks | $62,130 | 73,720 | -0.3% |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $61,810 | 14,000 | +3.2% |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | $60,550 | 328,820 | -0.3% |
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $58,930 | 83,080 | +2.5% |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | $58,870 | 10,700 | +2.8% |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,620 | 10,590 | +1.6% |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | $58,470 | 105,200 | -5.3% |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,160 | 43,140 | +1.1% |
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $57,660 | 19,310 | +2.8% |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $57,020 | 206,170 | +1.6% |
| Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $56,460 | 23,640 | +9.0% |
Above-median pay and the fastest growth
Of the jobs in this group that pay at least the all-jobs median, these are projected to grow fastest. For comparison, BLS projects total U.S. employment to grow 3.5% over the decade.
| Occupation | U.S. median | Jobs | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tile and Stone Setters | $55,690 | 35,850 | +9.8% |
| Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $56,460 | 23,640 | +9.0% |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | $66,710 | 15,070 | +5.5% |
| Roofers | $55,440 | 135,490 | +5.3% |
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | $51,520 | 31,670 | +3.2% |
| Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $61,810 | 14,000 | +3.2% |
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $57,660 | 19,310 | +2.8% |
| Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | $58,870 | 10,700 | +2.8% |
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $58,930 | 83,080 | +2.5% |
| Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,620 | 10,590 | +1.6% |
Where the openings are
Openings include new jobs plus replacements for workers who retire or change careers, so even slow-growing jobs can hire a lot. Average annual openings, 2025–35:
| Occupation | Openings per year | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 827,400 | $31,200 |
| Cashiers | 521,300 | $32,880 |
| Retail Salespersons | 520,600 | $35,410 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 430,700 | $37,330 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 423,100 | $35,230 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 340,500 | $40,240 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 321,800 | $36,840 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 218,600 | $37,390 |
What this means for you
- The median job in this group pays $40,845 (the middle value of the 94 occupation medians).
- Pay spreads are wide. Each wage above is a midpoint; click any occupation for its full 10th-to-90th percentile range and its best-paying states.
- Training matters too. Many of these jobs also require on-the-job training, an apprenticeship or a license on top of the entry credential.
Published October 27, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
A related data point from a different BLS survey: full-time workers age 25 and over whose highest education was less than a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $770 in 2025 and an unemployment rate of 6.1%, compared with $1,268 and 3.4% for all workers. Source: BLS “Education pays” table (Current Population Survey, 2025).