Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Orlando (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Orlando was $46,630 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 elevator and escalator installers and repairers, at a median of $104,860.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $117,790.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Orlando. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL) 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. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL had about 1,411,730 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 | Orlando median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $104,860 | 360 | $109,910 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $80,510 | 920 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $78,250 | 1,780 | $106,040 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $78,060 | 2,100 | $87,520 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $76,630 | 3,380 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $75,910 | 10,190 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $74,590 | 5,760 | $79,860 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $72,880 | 300 | $68,080 |
| Lodging Managers | $71,620 | 900 | $69,250 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers | $71,490 | 4,310 | $69,990 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $70,760 | 540 | $93,790 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $66,180 | 1,750 | $74,690 |
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 | Orlando median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $117,790 | 550 | $123,220 |
| Dental Hygienists | $92,560 | 1,490 | $98,100 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $92,430 | 2,380 | $79,870 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $83,980 | 350 | $95,480 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $83,310 | 930 | $96,590 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $82,070 | 1,190 | $82,280 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $79,720 | 440 | $92,460 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $78,200 | 880 | $93,530 |
The most common jobs in Orlando, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $32,290 | 49,970 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,410 | 36,820 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,530 | 35,690 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,620 | 34,830 |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | 30,150 |
| Cashiers | $31,330 | 29,340 |
| General and Operations Managers | $100,440 | 27,430 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,400 | 24,640 |
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 Orlando relative to the nation is costume attendants, with a location quotient of 9.1. That means those jobs make up about 9.1 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 540 of them locally, at a median of $43,780. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL.