Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Tucson (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Tucson was $47,760 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 detectives and criminal investigators, at a median of $105,350.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $96,740.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Tucson. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Tucson, AZ)) 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. Tucson, AZ had about 389,630 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 | Tucson median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $105,350 | 1,620 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $101,570 | 450 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $92,580 | 460 | $107,230 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,970 | 1,600 | $76,210 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | $73,930 | 580 | $65,380 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | $73,410 | 860 | $65,510 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $71,480 | 1,900 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $70,260 | 920 | $74,450 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $68,950 | 2,000 | $79,860 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $66,170 | 650 | $78,000 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $65,510 | 720 | $76,590 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $64,830 | 360 | $64,520 |
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 | Tucson median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $96,740 | 490 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $83,290 | 520 | $80,110 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $78,320 | 540 | $82,280 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $75,940 | 1,150 | $64,400 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $75,460 | 560 | $78,190 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $73,340 | 1,390 | $79,870 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $71,590 | 300 | $93,530 |
| Surgical Technologists | $64,510 | 340 | $64,650 |
The most common jobs in Tucson, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | $83,610 | 12,130 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,530 | 11,100 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,420 | 11,030 |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | 10,120 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,690 | 9,980 |
| Cashiers | $32,780 | 9,610 |
| Office Clerks, General | $43,920 | 8,070 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $40,090 | 7,880 |
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 31, 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 Tucson relative to the nation is continuous mining machine operators, with a location quotient of 20.51. That means those jobs make up about 20.51 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 720 of them locally, at a median of $60,880. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Tucson, AZ). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk