Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in West Virginia (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in West Virginia was $45,300 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 telecommunications line installers and repairers, at a median of $89,690.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by radiologic technologists and technicians at $74,150.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in West Virginia. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for West Virginia) 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 state that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. West Virginia had about 701,610 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 1,000 positions in the state, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | West Virginia median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $89,690 | 1,270 | $74,330 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $83,810 | 1,260 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $80,060 | 5,380 | $79,920 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $76,080 | 1,920 | $47,180 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,950 | 1,250 | $74,500 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $71,360 | 4,070 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $68,990 | 3,120 | $74,450 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $67,290 | 1,340 | $78,000 |
| Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | $66,060 | 1,190 | $58,040 |
| Electricians | $64,810 | 4,290 | $63,190 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $63,560 | 3,220 | $72,080 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $61,710 | 3,150 | $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 | West Virginia median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $74,150 | 1,810 | $80,110 |
| Dental Hygienists | $73,840 | 1,250 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $68,670 | 1,140 | $82,280 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $59,000 | 1,660 | $62,890 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $55,360 | 6,050 | $64,400 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $55,350 | 2,250 | $61,860 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,480 | 12,190 | $58,640 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $48,850 | 1,690 | $61,010 |
The most common jobs in West Virginia, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $80,130 | 23,430 |
| Retail Salespersons | $28,950 | 19,050 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $28,010 | 18,890 |
| Cashiers | $26,370 | 17,360 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $23,120 | 16,490 |
| General and Operations Managers | $82,500 | 15,300 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $34,510 | 12,520 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $49,480 | 12,190 |
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 28, 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 West Virginia relative to the nation is loading and moving machine operators, underground mining, with a location quotient of 46.62. That means those jobs make up about 46.62 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,250 of them locally, at a median of $74,950. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for West Virginia. Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk