Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks) (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks) was $52,510 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 transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $119,850.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $126,530.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks). Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA)) 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. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA had about 323,890 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 | Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $119,850 | 400 | $107,230 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $119,640 | 1,330 | $76,210 |
| Real Estate Sales Agents | $91,690 | 530 | $52,830 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $89,810 | 1,260 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $88,840 | 920 | $79,860 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $83,290 | 780 | $59,850 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $82,250 | 740 | $76,590 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $79,160 | 400 | $78,000 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | $78,350 | 320 | $60,020 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $77,780 | 840 | $62,280 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $77,300 | 2,630 | $72,080 |
| Food Service Managers | $75,610 | 590 | $69,390 |
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 | Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $126,530 | 500 | $98,100 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $107,650 | 390 | $80,110 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $102,250 | 310 | $82,280 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $97,680 | 690 | $78,190 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $79,020 | 1,230 | $64,400 |
| Firefighters | $77,400 | 660 | $59,280 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $74,780 | 520 | $62,890 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $71,620 | 860 | $61,860 |
The most common jobs in Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks), for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $34,320 | 15,250 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $42,370 | 9,520 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,880 | 8,270 |
| Cashiers | $36,150 | 7,620 |
| General and Operations Managers | $103,870 | 5,770 |
| Office Clerks, General | $48,370 | 5,750 |
| Registered Nurses | $131,160 | 5,710 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $41,920 | 5,600 |
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 Ventura County (Oxnard-Thousand Oaks) relative to the nation is farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse, with a location quotient of 8.15. That means those jobs make up about 8.15 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 4,510 of them locally, at a median of $35,810. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk