Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Pittsburgh (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Pittsburgh was $49,650 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 electrical power-line installers and repairers, at a median of $105,590.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by magnetic resonance imaging technologists at $81,040.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Pittsburgh. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Pittsburgh, PA)) 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. Pittsburgh, PA had about 1,114,490 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 | Pittsburgh median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $105,590 | 1,030 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $103,060 | 1,140 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $101,600 | 1,500 | $107,230 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $95,120 | 580 | $93,790 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $91,500 | 710 | $74,330 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $83,190 | 5,080 | $76,210 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $83,030 | 6,000 | $79,920 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $82,860 | 370 | $62,780 |
| Gas Plant Operators | $81,600 | 440 | $87,820 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,480 | 3,430 | $79,860 |
| Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $78,210 | 350 | $74,340 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $76,940 | 590 | $62,120 |
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 | Pittsburgh median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | $81,040 | 310 | $95,480 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $78,820 | 780 | $76,220 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $78,740 | 490 | $96,590 |
| Dental Hygienists | $75,960 | 1,580 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $75,470 | 1,220 | $82,280 |
| Firefighters | $72,230 | 950 | $59,280 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $72,180 | 310 | $74,510 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $72,160 | 670 | $78,190 |
The most common jobs in Pittsburgh, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $29,250 | 37,200 |
| General and Operations Managers | $100,840 | 31,020 |
| Registered Nurses | $82,370 | 29,360 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,840 | 28,700 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,250 | 27,460 |
| Cashiers | $29,470 | 20,950 |
| Office Clerks, General | $45,040 | 19,150 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $41,830 | 18,830 |
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 29, 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 Pittsburgh relative to the nation is rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, with a location quotient of 6.99. That means those jobs make up about 6.99 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,260 of them locally, at a median of $69,150. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Pittsburgh, PA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk