Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Arkansas (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Arkansas was $43,630 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 $89,200.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $86,760.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Arkansas. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Arkansas) 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 state that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Arkansas had about 1,303,630 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 1,000 positions in the state, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | Arkansas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $89,200 | 1,440 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $81,450 | 1,510 | $95,320 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $73,920 | 2,660 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $71,460 | 7,590 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $64,980 | 1,800 | $87,520 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $64,440 | 1,160 | $58,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $63,090 | 11,000 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $62,290 | 2,100 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $61,230 | 6,590 | $79,920 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $60,840 | 1,690 | $74,330 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $60,530 | 1,190 | $65,510 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $59,760 | 6,270 | $64,520 |
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 | Arkansas median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $86,760 | 1,740 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $73,870 | 1,400 | $82,280 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $64,520 | 1,620 | $68,380 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $63,640 | 2,210 | $80,110 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $59,460 | 1,470 | $76,220 |
| Surgical Technologists | $57,400 | 1,640 | $64,650 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $56,620 | 10,010 | $64,400 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $51,550 | 32,220 | $58,640 |
The most common jobs in Arkansas, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $26,250 | 35,660 |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,270 | 35,510 |
| General and Operations Managers | $74,050 | 34,570 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $51,550 | 32,220 |
| Office Clerks, General | $37,050 | 29,940 |
| Registered Nurses | $78,940 | 29,400 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $34,700 | 28,350 |
| Cashiers | $27,670 | 28,270 |
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 October 28, 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 Arkansas relative to the nation is graders and sorters, agricultural products, with a location quotient of 7.84. That means those jobs make up about 7.84 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,650 of them locally, at a median of $35,310. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Arkansas. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk