Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in North Dakota (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in North Dakota was $52,480 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 mechanics, installers, and repairers, at a median of $90,600.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses at $62,300.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in North Dakota. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for North Dakota) 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. North Dakota had about 429,430 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 | North Dakota median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $90,600 | 1,920 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $81,370 | 4,350 | $79,920 |
| Wellhead Pumpers | $79,820 | 1,540 | $69,960 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $76,350 | 1,650 | $74,450 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $76,030 | 1,720 | $65,510 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $74,500 | 1,630 | $76,210 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $74,250 | 4,180 | $72,080 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $71,220 | 1,460 | $62,280 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $68,720 | 1,830 | $69,500 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | $66,110 | 1,790 | $61,770 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $66,060 | 1,620 | $69,990 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $65,990 | 2,560 | $64,520 |
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 | North Dakota median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $62,300 | 1,920 | $64,400 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $61,310 | 1,400 | $61,860 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,910 | 11,870 | $58,640 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $57,360 | 2,140 | $50,620 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $49,710 | 4,290 | $50,670 |
| Nursing Assistants | $45,820 | 6,840 | $42,260 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $38,240 | 5,600 | $36,780 |
The most common jobs in North Dakota, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $60,910 | 11,870 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $30,080 | 11,470 |
| Registered Nurses | $80,730 | 11,340 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,040 | 11,320 |
| General and Operations Managers | $98,170 | 11,150 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $45,690 | 9,990 |
| Cashiers | $31,460 | 9,510 |
| Office Clerks, General | $50,160 | 8,440 |
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 28, 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 North Dakota relative to the nation is wellhead pumpers, with a location quotient of 30.98. That means those jobs make up about 30.98 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,540 of them locally, at a median of $79,820. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for North Dakota. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk