Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Omaha (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Omaha was $49,660 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 first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $106,100.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $94,170.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Omaha. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Omaha, NE-IA)) 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. Omaha, NE-IA had about 498,100 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 | Omaha median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $106,100 | 380 | $106,040 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $101,960 | 370 | $95,320 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $96,180 | 690 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $89,690 | 900 | $87,520 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $80,280 | 1,640 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $77,860 | 2,900 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $76,080 | 1,970 | $79,860 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $75,570 | 1,630 | $78,000 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $75,440 | 300 | $61,800 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $74,430 | 380 | $62,780 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $70,110 | 2,160 | $74,450 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $68,240 | 990 | $76,590 |
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 | Omaha median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $94,170 | 580 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $82,920 | 530 | $96,590 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $81,270 | 460 | $82,280 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $76,600 | 830 | $80,110 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $72,660 | 710 | $76,220 |
| Surgical Technologists | $65,050 | 380 | $64,650 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $64,850 | 390 | $63,890 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $64,230 | 1,010 | $62,890 |
The most common jobs in Omaha, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,450 | 15,580 |
| Registered Nurses | $84,600 | 13,200 |
| Retail Salespersons | $33,260 | 12,080 |
| General and Operations Managers | $90,620 | 11,430 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,810 | 10,490 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,010 | 10,210 |
| Cashiers | $31,270 | 9,110 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,260 | 8,810 |
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 30, 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 Omaha relative to the nation is slaughterers and meat packers, with a location quotient of 5.94. That means those jobs make up about 5.94 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,330 of them locally, at a median of $46,390. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Omaha, NE-IA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk