Best-Paying Jobs You Can Get With a Certificate (No Degree), 2025 Data
- BLS lists 49 detailed occupations where the typical entry credential is “postsecondary nondegree award.” 31 of them have a U.S. median wage at or above the all-jobs median of $50,980.
- The best-paid is commercial pilots, at a median of $123,220 in May 2025.
- The job in this group with the most projected openings each year is heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, with about 214,500 openings a year through 2035.
This list covers jobs that typically need a postsecondary certificate. 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 that typically need a postsecondary certificate
Occupations with at least 2,000 U.S. jobs, ranked by median annual wage. Growth is the BLS projection for 2025–35.
| Occupation | U.S. median | Jobs | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $123,220 | 47,630 | +5.2% |
| Ship Engineers | $109,530 | 8,400 | +2.7% |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | 20,720 | +9.7% |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $97,150 | 2,340 | +6.1% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $93,530 | 99,140 | +3.7% |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $92,460 | 36,850 | +4.0% |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | $84,890 | 6,940 | +5.4% |
| Avionics Technicians | $82,280 | 18,830 | +9.4% |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $79,870 | 138,090 | +5.4% |
| Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | $78,240 | 11,560 | -8.7% |
| Fire Inspectors and Investigators | $75,920 | 13,800 | +4.2% |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $74,090 | 65,010 | +0.3% |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | $73,130 | 13,080 | -3.1% |
| Commercial Divers | $72,990 | 3,450 | +4.8% |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $72,420 | 12,870 | -0.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | $64,120 | 9,980 | +29.5% |
| Massage Therapists | $58,450 | 98,790 | +15.3% |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $61,010 | 409,670 | +10.9% |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | 20,720 | +9.7% |
| Avionics Technicians | $82,280 | 18,830 | +9.4% |
| Medical Records Specialists | $51,140 | 194,720 | +7.8% |
| Surgical Assistants | $66,800 | 22,270 | +6.1% |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | $97,150 | 2,340 | +6.1% |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | $68,120 | 28,500 | +5.9% |
| Paramedics | $60,600 | 100,610 | +5.7% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 214,500 | $58,640 |
| Nursing Assistants | 196,200 | $42,260 |
| Medical Assistants | 109,700 | $45,690 |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | 73,400 | $35,790 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 66,200 | $50,620 |
| Dental Assistants | 53,000 | $48,070 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 51,800 | $64,400 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | 40,600 | $61,010 |
What this means for you
- The median job in this group pays $60,600 (the middle value of the 49 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 some college but no degree had median weekly earnings of $1,062 in 2025 and an unemployment rate of 3.8%, compared with $1,268 and 3.4% for all workers. The CPS doesn’t break out certificate holders separately, so this is the closest education group to people who finished a nondegree program. Source: BLS “Education pays” table (Current Population Survey, 2025).