Air traffic controllers top pay list without bachelor’s

highest-paying jobs – Air traffic controllers lead a Business Insider ranking of 25 jobs that typically don’t require a bachelor’s degree or more, with a median annual wage of $148,080. Using May 2025 pay data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the list shows multiple six-figure

On a list built for people trying to earn six figures without a bachelor’s degree, one job sits well above the rest: air traffic controllers.

With May 2025 pay data. air traffic controllers had a median annual wage of $148. 080—the top figure among the 25 highest-paying jobs that typically don’t require a bachelor’s degree or more advanced education. The education path is still a defined one: prospective controllers can qualify with an associate degree through an air traffic collegiate training initiative program. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The rankings were compiled to help answer a hard question in today’s job market: what work can pay strongly when the four-year credential isn’t part of the plan?. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. the list includes jobs that usually just need an associate degree. a high school diploma or the equivalent. a postsecondary nondegree award. or no formal education. It uses May 2025 pay data and reflects entry education needs based on 2024.

For many of the jobs here, the pathway isn’t vague—it’s specific. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers, for example, were identified as another high-paying option, with interested job seekers potentially needing no more than a high school diploma.

A striking second set of numbers sits just under the top tier. Commercial pilots, with a median annual wage of $123,220, typically require a postsecondary nondegree award. Nuclear power reactor operators follow with a median annual wage of $122. 890. with typical education listed as a high school diploma or equivalent.

From there, the list broadens into roles spread across public safety, healthcare, skilled trades, energy, and transportation—each tied to a median pay figure and a typical education requirement.

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers came in at number 7 with a median annual wage of $107,230, and the employment estimate was 221,180, with typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Power distributors and dispatchers were number 8, with a median annual pay of $106,730 and an employment estimate of 8,520, also typically requiring a high school diploma or equivalent.

First-line supervisors of police and detectives landed at number 9 with a median annual pay of $106,040, and an employment estimate of 154,610, with typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay workers were number 11 with a median annual pay of $103,020, an employment estimate of 20,720, and typical education needed listed as a postsecondary nondegree award.

Power plant operators ranked at number 12 with a median annual pay of $102,040, an employment estimate of 29,320, and typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Nuclear medicine technologists were number 13 with a median annual pay of $101,370, an employment estimate of 17,080, and typical education needed listed as an associate degree.

Dental hygienists were number 14, earning a median annual pay of $98,100, with an employment estimate of 222,740 and typical education needed listed as an associate degree.

Radiation therapists ranked at number 10 with a median annual pay of $105,310, an employment estimate of 17,070, and typical education needed listed as an associate degree.

Electricity and equipment show up repeatedly. Electrical power-line installers and repairers ranked at number 20 with a median annual pay of $95,320 and an employment estimate of 131,070, with typical education listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers were number 5 with a median annual pay of $109,910, an employment estimate of 23,790, and typical education listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Signal and track switch repairers, tied at number 24, had a median annual pay of $92,460, with an employment estimate of 8,720, and typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels were tied at number 24 as well, with a median annual pay of $92,460 and an employment estimate of 36,850, with typical education needed listed as a postsecondary nondegree award.

There are also roles tied to medicine and diagnostics. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists were number 19 with a median annual pay of $95,480, an employment estimate of 43,390, and typical education listed as an associate degree.

Diagnostic medical sonographers were number 18 with a median annual pay of $96,590, an employment estimate of 90,160, and typical education listed as an associate degree.

Nuclear technicians were number 4 with a median annual pay of $110,240, an employment estimate of 6,470, and typical education listed as an associate degree.

Radiation and nuclear work also intersects with the broader energy picture. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers ranked at number 16 with a median annual pay of $96,710, an employment estimate of 33,160, and typical education listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Ship engineers ranked at number 6 with a median annual pay of $109,530, an employment estimate of 8,400, and typical education listed as a postsecondary nondegree award.

Other high-paying jobs on the list move beyond healthcare and energy. Detectives and criminal investigators were number 21 with a median annual pay of $93,790, an employment estimate of 114,430, and typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Gambling managers ranked at number 23 with a median annual pay of $93,220, an employment estimate of 5,030, and typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

Makeup artists, theatrical and performance jobs were number 15 with a median annual pay of $97,150, an employment estimate of 2,340, and typical education needed listed as a postsecondary nondegree award.

Postmasters and mail superintendents were number 17 with a median annual pay of $96,660, an employment estimate of 13,810, and typical education needed listed as high school diploma or equivalent.

First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers ranked at number 22 with a median annual pay of $93,530, an employment estimate of 99,140, and typical education needed listed as a postsecondary nondegree award.

Across these numbers, a pattern emerges that’s easy to miss if you only look at job titles. The highest median wages on the list still tend to funnel through training paths that stop short of a bachelor’s degree—whether that’s an associate degree. a postsecondary nondegree award. or a high school diploma or equivalent—while pay lands in the six-figure range.

And the practical stakes are personal, not abstract. The ranking comes with a direct invitation for people who might already be doing exactly that—making six figures without student loan debt and without a bachelor’s degree—to reach out to share their story at mhoff@businessinsider.com.

air traffic controllers high-paying jobs jobs without bachelor's degree associate degree postsecondary nondegree award Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 pay data six-figure jobs