Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Hawaii (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Hawaii was $56,320 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 operating engineers and other construction equipment operators, at a median of $115,860.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by aircraft mechanics and service technicians at $90,830.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Hawaii. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Hawaii) 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. Hawaii had about 627,530 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 | Hawaii median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $115,860 | 2,380 | $59,850 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $102,630 | 2,890 | $79,920 |
| Electricians | $96,460 | 3,070 | $63,190 |
| Food Service Managers | $87,800 | 1,230 | $69,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $87,550 | 3,380 | $79,860 |
| Carpenters | $85,280 | 4,810 | $60,580 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $83,820 | 2,420 | $76,210 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $80,710 | 1,440 | $76,590 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $78,060 | 2,500 | $63,800 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $77,360 | 1,240 | $62,470 |
| Construction Laborers | $77,110 | 4,580 | $47,120 |
| Bartenders | $76,490 | 3,540 | $34,340 |
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 | Hawaii median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $90,830 | 1,150 | $79,870 |
| Massage Therapists | $81,280 | 1,330 | $58,450 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $65,450 | 1,300 | $61,010 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $62,840 | 1,170 | $62,890 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,820 | 4,070 | $58,640 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $56,760 | 2,440 | $61,860 |
| Psychiatric Technicians | $55,150 | 2,060 | $45,130 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $52,160 | 2,710 | $50,620 |
The most common jobs in Hawaii, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,250 | 24,130 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,790 | 19,180 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $62,390 | 14,090 |
| General and Operations Managers | $108,180 | 13,380 |
| Registered Nurses | $136,320 | 12,940 |
| Office Clerks, General | $42,340 | 12,930 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,710 | 11,230 |
| Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $51,600 | 11,120 |
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 Hawaii relative to the nation is baggage porters and bellhops, with a location quotient of 11.94. That means those jobs make up about 11.94 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,370 of them locally, at a median of $42,240. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Hawaii. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk