Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Wisconsin (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Wisconsin was $50,270 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 electrical power-line installers and repairers, at a median of $105,820.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by commercial pilots at $129,860.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Wisconsin. Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Wisconsin) 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. Wisconsin had about 2,941,540 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 | Wisconsin median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $105,820 | 2,520 | $95,320 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $97,120 | 2,080 | $106,040 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $95,900 | 5,410 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $91,980 | 4,930 | $87,520 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $91,040 | 1,640 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $85,350 | 15,150 | $79,920 |
| Millwrights | $82,630 | 1,220 | $65,700 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $82,570 | 10,640 | $79,860 |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $81,210 | 10,210 | $63,800 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $80,120 | 1,050 | $62,120 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | $79,450 | 7,860 | $62,280 |
| Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | $78,160 | 8,760 | $78,000 |
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 | Wisconsin median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $129,860 | 1,090 | $123,220 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $102,090 | 1,530 | $96,590 |
| Dental Hygienists | $96,540 | 5,080 | $98,100 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $84,210 | 1,940 | $82,280 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $83,310 | 1,330 | $93,530 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $81,010 | 1,140 | $76,220 |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $79,140 | 5,010 | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologists | $74,120 | 2,180 | $64,650 |
The most common jobs in Wisconsin, for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $36,340 | 82,430 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $44,610 | 70,520 |
| Registered Nurses | $95,530 | 68,060 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,600 | 67,750 |
| Retail Salespersons | $34,480 | 67,640 |
| Cashiers | $30,880 | 65,380 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $58,610 | 53,330 |
| Office Clerks, General | $44,980 | 51,440 |
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 27, 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 Wisconsin relative to the nation is print binding and finishing workers, with a location quotient of 5.7. That means those jobs make up about 5.7 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 3,560 of them locally, at a median of $43,400. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Wisconsin.