Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Knoxville (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Knoxville was $47,080 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 electrical power-line installers and repairers, at a median of $99,780.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $84,640.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Knoxville. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Knoxville, TN)) 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. Knoxville, TN had about 424,600 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 | Knoxville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $99,780 | 440 | $95,320 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $98,240 | 620 | $107,230 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $80,820 | 440 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $77,130 | 500 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,930 | 1,910 | $79,860 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $69,140 | 1,560 | $64,520 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $67,310 | 570 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $66,830 | 2,680 | $79,920 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $65,060 | 940 | $62,280 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $64,300 | 2,550 | $74,450 |
| Food Service Managers | $63,940 | 610 | $69,390 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $63,890 | 500 | $69,990 |
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 | Knoxville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $84,640 | 590 | $98,100 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $76,820 | 350 | $76,220 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $68,890 | 670 | $80,110 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $67,300 | 300 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $64,800 | 460 | $82,280 |
| Tool and Die Makers | $63,180 | 500 | $64,050 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $61,580 | 410 | $63,890 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $60,580 | 350 | $64,950 |
The most common jobs in Knoxville, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,720 | 12,730 |
| Retail Salespersons | $31,150 | 12,430 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $37,400 | 10,120 |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | 9,500 |
| General and Operations Managers | $104,590 | 8,660 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,100 | 8,130 |
| Cashiers | $29,110 | 8,030 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,410 | 7,730 |
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 30, 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 Knoxville relative to the nation is rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, with a location quotient of 4.66. That means those jobs make up about 4.66 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 320 of them locally, at a median of $58,680. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Knoxville, TN). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk