Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in New York (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in New York was $59,670 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 elevator and escalator installers and repairers, at a median of $135,720.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $177,430.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in New York. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New York) 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 York had about 9,688,000 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 York median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $135,720 | 3,470 | $109,910 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $127,180 | 6,740 | $107,230 |
| Flight Attendants | $126,650 | 12,060 | $63,580 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $124,080 | 12,750 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $121,780 | 16,870 | $87,520 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $121,280 | 5,840 | $95,320 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $109,220 | 1,510 | $81,410 |
| Power Plant Operators | $106,990 | 1,960 | $102,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $103,320 | 3,380 | $77,970 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $102,990 | 8,660 | $52,830 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $101,240 | 9,600 | $93,790 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $101,150 | 4,170 | $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 York median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $177,430 | 1,070 | $123,220 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $144,960 | 1,150 | $148,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $132,520 | 4,100 | $93,530 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $113,270 | 3,240 | $95,480 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $107,810 | 7,010 | $82,280 |
| Dental Hygienists | $106,130 | 13,660 | $98,100 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $104,800 | 1,930 | $92,460 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $103,920 | 6,880 | $96,590 |
The most common jobs in New York, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $39,620 | 663,140 |
| Retail Salespersons | $37,720 | 238,540 |
| General and Operations Managers | $130,860 | 206,740 |
| Registered Nurses | $109,440 | 205,810 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $41,640 | 195,250 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,250 | 168,620 |
| Cashiers | $35,500 | 158,890 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $39,030 | 146,140 |
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 York relative to the nation is word processors and typists, with a location quotient of 5.7. That means those jobs make up about 5.7 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 12,340 of them locally, at a median of $48,400. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for New York.