Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Nashville (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Nashville was $50,390 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 elevator and escalator installers and repairers, at a median of $105,290.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $131,590.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Nashville. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, 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. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN had about 1,099,300 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 | Nashville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $105,290 | 300 | $109,910 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $103,750 | 1,680 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $97,860 | 1,840 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $94,420 | 1,050 | $106,040 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $83,230 | 1,260 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $78,830 | 6,510 | $79,920 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $78,460 | 660 | $93,790 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $78,030 | 3,390 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $76,680 | 5,210 | $79,860 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $73,700 | 2,430 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $73,060 | 17,890 | $69,500 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $70,470 | 4,600 | $74,450 |
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 | Nashville median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $131,590 | 370 | $123,220 |
| Dental Hygienists | $94,030 | 1,490 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $89,710 | 500 | $96,590 |
| Surgical Assistants | $87,080 | 340 | $66,800 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $82,470 | 350 | $95,480 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $80,720 | 730 | $93,530 |
| Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | $80,320 | 470 | $74,310 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $78,700 | 1,070 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Nashville, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,790 | 33,120 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,150 | 28,680 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,420 | 28,580 |
| Registered Nurses | $84,040 | 25,100 |
| General and Operations Managers | $119,990 | 23,820 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $45,510 | 20,770 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $56,400 | 20,770 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $38,190 | 20,090 |
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 29, 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 Nashville relative to the nation is agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes, with a location quotient of 7.05. That means those jobs make up about 7.05 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 630 of them locally, at a median of $75,390. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk