Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in McAllen (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in McAllen was $35,830 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 detectives and criminal investigators, at a median of $103,380.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by physical therapist assistants at $72,520.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in McAllen. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX)) 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. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX had about 296,700 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.
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 | McAllen median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $72,520 | 410 | $68,380 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $59,870 | 490 | $80,110 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $56,250 | 1,860 | $64,400 |
| Firefighters | $50,740 | 390 | $59,280 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $50,460 | 910 | $61,860 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $47,330 | 560 | $62,890 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $47,170 | 530 | $61,010 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $47,040 | 4,390 | $58,640 |
The most common jobs in McAllen, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $23,960 | 46,380 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $22,790 | 12,160 |
| Retail Salespersons | $27,420 | 8,960 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $35,830 | 8,270 |
| Cashiers | $27,020 | 7,000 |
| General and Operations Managers | $74,570 | 6,480 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,080 | 5,870 |
| Office Clerks, General | $32,130 | 5,420 |
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 McAllen relative to the nation is detectives and criminal investigators, with a location quotient of 7.34. That means those jobs make up about 7.34 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,600 of them locally, at a median of $103,380. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk