Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Greensboro-High Point (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Greensboro-High Point was $46,570 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 $101,320.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $84,250.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Greensboro-High Point. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Greensboro-High Point, NC)) 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. Greensboro-High Point, NC had about 365,410 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 | Greensboro-High Point median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,320 | 700 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $99,390 | 370 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $93,770 | 890 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,000 | 1,740 | $79,860 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $74,630 | 370 | $78,000 |
| Food Service Managers | $73,780 | 600 | $69,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $73,120 | 2,260 | $79,920 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,630 | 4,350 | $72,080 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $66,140 | 560 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $66,050 | 2,410 | $74,450 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $63,560 | 470 | $74,690 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $62,630 | 2,510 | $69,500 |
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 | Greensboro-High Point median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $84,250 | 390 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $67,520 | 490 | $80,110 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $64,520 | 880 | $79,870 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $63,610 | 1,470 | $64,400 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $59,370 | 300 | $93,530 |
| Surgical Technologists | $59,070 | 340 | $64,650 |
| Paramedics | $58,980 | 320 | $60,600 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $58,650 | 860 | $62,890 |
The most common jobs in Greensboro-High Point, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $37,190 | 13,470 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,750 | 9,510 |
| Cashiers | $28,630 | 7,510 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,840 | 7,470 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $41,240 | 7,460 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $27,880 | 6,850 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,200 | 6,790 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,480 | 6,480 |
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 31, 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 Greensboro-High Point relative to the nation is upholsterers, with a location quotient of 15.76. That means those jobs make up about 15.76 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 750 of them locally, at a median of $49,040. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Greensboro-High Point, NC). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk