Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Illinois (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Illinois was $51,960 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 first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $135,080.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $126,100.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Illinois. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Illinois) 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. Illinois had about 6,098,130 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 | Illinois median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $135,080 | 4,900 | $106,040 |
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $133,690 | 1,080 | $109,910 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $120,250 | 11,030 | $107,230 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $115,780 | 1,680 | $78,620 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $108,120 | 3,090 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $105,750 | 19,340 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $105,450 | 2,860 | $77,970 |
| Power Plant Operators | $104,440 | 1,160 | $102,040 |
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $102,890 | 1,070 | $96,710 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $101,850 | 2,740 | $62,780 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $100,520 | 29,180 | $76,210 |
| Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $100,400 | 1,100 | $58,340 |
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 | Illinois median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $126,100 | 1,170 | $123,220 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $123,500 | 3,240 | $93,530 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $100,660 | 3,270 | $96,590 |
| Dental Hygienists | $96,670 | 8,970 | $98,100 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $95,380 | 2,760 | $95,480 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $85,510 | 1,980 | $78,190 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $84,090 | 4,880 | $82,280 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $81,680 | 3,370 | $79,870 |
The most common jobs in Illinois, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $40,550 | 195,390 |
| General and Operations Managers | $103,570 | 171,300 |
| Cashiers | $34,490 | 139,630 |
| Registered Nurses | $95,990 | 138,910 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $38,060 | 134,100 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $33,910 | 127,590 |
| Retail Salespersons | $35,370 | 126,610 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,680 | 109,240 |
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 27, 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 Illinois relative to the nation is mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders, with a location quotient of 2.8. That means those jobs make up about 2.8 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 10,240 of them locally, at a median of $53,560. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Illinois.