Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Jacksonville (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Jacksonville was $48,830 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 first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $123,290.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by air traffic controllers at $170,120.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Jacksonville. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Jacksonville, FL) 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. Jacksonville, FL had about 765,930 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 | Jacksonville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $123,290 | 670 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $112,360 | 1,600 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $90,480 | 1,090 | $87,520 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $80,860 | 470 | $95,320 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $78,810 | 2,800 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $77,760 | 5,830 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $77,250 | 3,320 | $79,860 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $77,150 | 460 | $60,020 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $76,860 | 2,180 | $78,000 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $76,710 | 1,840 | $69,990 |
| Sailors and Marine Oilers | $75,530 | 700 | $51,520 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $74,580 | 540 | $93,790 |
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 | Jacksonville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $170,120 | 450 | $148,080 |
| Ship Engineers | $130,600 | 450 | $109,530 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $100,810 | 940 | $93,530 |
| Dental Hygienists | $94,960 | 1,110 | $98,100 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $85,510 | 420 | $78,190 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $84,470 | 530 | $96,590 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $83,190 | 670 | $92,460 |
| Avionics Technicians | $81,760 | 330 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Jacksonville, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $34,360 | 22,390 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,470 | 21,480 |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | 18,940 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $41,040 | 17,350 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,840 | 17,030 |
| General and Operations Managers | $100,870 | 16,870 |
| Cashiers | $30,320 | 15,710 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,110 | 15,400 |
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 Jacksonville relative to the nation is ship engineers, with a location quotient of 10.9. That means those jobs make up about 10.9 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 450 of them locally, at a median of $130,600. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Jacksonville, FL.