Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Ohio (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Ohio was $49,380 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $101,550.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $150,330.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Ohio. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Ohio) 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. Ohio had about 5,550,180 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 | Ohio median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,550 | 9,480 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $98,380 | 5,170 | $106,040 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $93,150 | 4,260 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $81,720 | 5,980 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,580 | 23,640 | $79,920 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $79,300 | 2,140 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,730 | 19,410 | $79,860 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $77,020 | 23,430 | $76,210 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $76,920 | 1,230 | $74,340 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $74,790 | 4,180 | $61,800 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | $74,750 | 3,430 | $53,710 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $74,710 | 2,290 | $62,780 |
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 | Ohio median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $150,330 | 2,680 | $123,220 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $98,700 | 1,120 | $103,020 |
| Dental Hygienists | $88,990 | 8,630 | $98,100 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $87,670 | 1,840 | $95,480 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $84,490 | 3,960 | $93,530 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $82,870 | 3,160 | $96,590 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $80,570 | 2,840 | $79,870 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $79,920 | 6,640 | $82,280 |
The most common jobs in Ohio, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,430 | 163,560 |
| General and Operations Managers | $97,700 | 153,160 |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | 143,730 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,800 | 137,370 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,130 | 129,760 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,460 | 108,830 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,460 | 106,940 |
| Cashiers | $29,260 | 103,020 |
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 Ohio relative to the nation is computer numerically controlled tool operators, with a location quotient of 3.5. That means those jobs make up about 3.5 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 21,250 of them locally, at a median of $49,160. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Ohio.