Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Connecticut (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Connecticut was $59,690 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 $114,210.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $100,690.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Connecticut. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Connecticut) 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. Connecticut had about 1,696,170 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 | Connecticut median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $114,210 | 2,410 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $109,360 | 2,240 | $106,040 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $98,670 | 1,430 | $74,690 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $94,050 | 6,230 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $92,260 | 6,980 | $79,920 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $88,330 | 3,190 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $83,150 | 9,150 | $74,450 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $82,520 | 6,490 | $76,590 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $82,170 | 6,500 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $78,950 | 1,430 | $87,520 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $78,750 | 2,860 | $59,850 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $78,750 | 1,480 | $61,800 |
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 | Connecticut median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $100,690 | 3,240 | $98,100 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $98,500 | 1,310 | $93,530 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $96,830 | 1,430 | $79,870 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $91,970 | 3,230 | $80,110 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $85,230 | 1,370 | $82,280 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $81,390 | 1,190 | $78,190 |
| Surgical Technologists | $79,890 | 1,220 | $64,650 |
| Firefighters | $77,630 | 2,970 | $59,280 |
The most common jobs in Connecticut, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,990 | 49,510 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,490 | 42,410 |
| Registered Nurses | $102,740 | 40,110 |
| General and Operations Managers | $137,220 | 39,070 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,380 | 35,720 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $40,590 | 35,490 |
| Cashiers | $35,550 | 30,920 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,960 | 28,740 |
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 Connecticut relative to the nation is actuaries, with a location quotient of 4.76. That means those jobs make up about 4.76 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,380 of them locally, at a median of $166,800. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Connecticut. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk