Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in San Antonio (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in San Antonio was $47,010 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 $105,110.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $98,480.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in San Antonio. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX)) 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. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX had about 1,126,880 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 | San Antonio median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $105,110 | 360 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $95,500 | 1,670 | $107,230 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $83,830 | 1,670 | $93,790 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $81,830 | 4,860 | $78,000 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $78,030 | 1,310 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $75,790 | 6,230 | $79,860 |
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $74,260 | 910 | $74,330 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $73,860 | 5,130 | $76,210 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $73,700 | 1,910 | $76,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $73,520 | 6,170 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $70,740 | 1,470 | $87,520 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $70,500 | 3,780 | $74,450 |
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 | San Antonio median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $98,480 | 920 | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $84,340 | 480 | $96,590 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $79,450 | 790 | $93,530 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | $79,240 | 420 | $72,300 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $78,240 | 2,180 | $79,870 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $78,070 | 1,630 | $80,110 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $77,900 | 950 | $82,280 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $76,830 | 960 | $68,380 |
The most common jobs in San Antonio, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $27,810 | 40,040 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $42,720 | 34,730 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $25,960 | 31,420 |
| General and Operations Managers | $99,790 | 30,560 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,960 | 27,580 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,360 | 27,440 |
| Registered Nurses | $94,370 | 23,660 |
| Cashiers | $29,800 | 20,620 |
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 San Antonio relative to the nation is career/technical education teachers, middle school, with a location quotient of 3.26. That means those jobs make up about 3.26 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 400 of them locally, at a median of $62,310. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk