Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in New Jersey (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in New Jersey was $58,570 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 $142,990.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by first-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers at $133,210.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in New Jersey. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New Jersey) 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. New Jersey had about 4,285,720 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 | New Jersey median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $142,990 | 7,650 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $130,610 | 9,120 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $121,580 | 1,310 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $117,450 | 1,340 | $77,970 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $116,300 | 3,080 | $93,790 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $113,220 | 1,060 | $62,780 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $111,390 | 1,290 | $73,220 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $105,510 | 16,230 | $79,920 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $102,090 | 2,540 | $74,330 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $100,640 | 1,000 | $68,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $99,030 | 10,370 | $87,520 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $96,510 | 1,000 | $74,340 |
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 | New Jersey median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $133,210 | 2,210 | $93,530 |
| Dental Hygienists | $107,040 | 7,230 | $98,100 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $105,370 | 1,900 | $79,870 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $103,930 | 1,250 | $95,480 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $103,150 | 3,370 | $96,590 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $100,810 | 3,350 | $82,280 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $95,000 | 6,320 | $80,110 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $87,440 | 3,370 | $76,220 |
The most common jobs in New Jersey, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $37,090 | 117,080 |
| Cashiers | $34,590 | 107,680 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,540 | 97,230 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,150 | 93,730 |
| Registered Nurses | $106,500 | 92,680 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,520 | 72,530 |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | $43,840 | 71,260 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,630 | 67,660 |
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 New Jersey relative to the nation is packers and packagers, hand, with a location quotient of 4.6. That means those jobs make up about 4.6 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 71,260 of them locally, at a median of $43,840. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New Jersey.