Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Rochester, New York (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Rochester, New York was $51,210 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 first-line supervisors of police and detectives, at a median of $110,490.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $93,650.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Rochester, New York. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Rochester, NY)) 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. Rochester, NY had about 494,280 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 | Rochester, New York median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $110,490 | 450 | $106,040 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $107,660 | 450 | $93,790 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,190 | 410 | $107,230 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $105,110 | 310 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $99,660 | 800 | $87,520 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $92,920 | 1,800 | $76,210 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $82,080 | 470 | $78,000 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $81,380 | 2,080 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,920 | 1,730 | $79,860 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $79,150 | 930 | $62,280 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $77,530 | 350 | $74,330 |
| Construction and Building Inspectors | $77,340 | 690 | $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 | Rochester, New York median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $93,650 | 940 | $98,100 |
| Firefighters | $89,120 | 730 | $59,280 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $82,990 | 410 | $82,280 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $82,070 | 400 | $96,590 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $77,280 | 390 | $78,190 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $76,390 | 650 | $80,110 |
| Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers | $73,870 | 330 | $63,890 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $65,180 | 650 | $76,220 |
The most common jobs in Rochester, New York, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $35,600 | 17,070 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,650 | 12,440 |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | 12,340 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $33,430 | 11,310 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,940 | 9,620 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $37,160 | 9,520 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $44,740 | 9,290 |
| General and Operations Managers | $103,690 | 9,230 |
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 Rochester, New York relative to the nation is ophthalmic laboratory technicians, with a location quotient of 8.34. That means those jobs make up about 8.34 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 490 of them locally, at a median of $45,420. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Rochester, NY). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk