Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Oregon (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Oregon was $57,000 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 electrical power-line installers and repairers, at a median of $131,090.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $122,080.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Oregon. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Oregon) 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. Oregon had about 1,967,130 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 | Oregon median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $131,090 | 1,640 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $122,130 | 1,470 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $103,520 | 2,860 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $103,070 | 7,890 | $79,920 |
| Electricians | $101,310 | 10,590 | $63,190 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $97,050 | 5,370 | $63,800 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $88,140 | 5,030 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $86,970 | 7,120 | $79,860 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $84,510 | 1,780 | $74,690 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $83,690 | 3,650 | $58,940 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $81,640 | 2,950 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $80,460 | 2,080 | $87,520 |
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 | Oregon median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $122,080 | 3,600 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $120,220 | 1,210 | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $102,290 | 2,700 | $80,110 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $100,560 | 1,340 | $82,280 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $100,260 | 1,160 | $93,530 |
| Massage Therapists | $86,970 | 2,250 | $58,450 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $82,850 | 1,080 | $79,870 |
| Surgical Technologists | $81,390 | 1,090 | $64,650 |
The most common jobs in Oregon, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $35,050 | 59,920 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,770 | 48,090 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $43,480 | 42,690 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $44,410 | 42,330 |
| Registered Nurses | $129,010 | 39,730 |
| Cashiers | $35,300 | 37,660 |
| General and Operations Managers | $103,490 | 36,190 |
| Office Clerks, General | $49,910 | 27,980 |
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 Oregon relative to the nation is semiconductor processing technicians, with a location quotient of 16.6. That means those jobs make up about 16.6 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 6,620 of them locally, at a median of $63,330. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Oregon.