paying jobs that don't need a college degree

Key Points:

• Some of the fastest-growing, high-paying jobs over the next decade require only a high school diploma and training, not a college degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by the Get the Facts Data Team.
• Transportation storage and distribution managers top the list with a median pay of $100,000 and a projected job growth of 5% to 6% from 2025 to 2035.
• Other high-paying roles include first-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers, with median salaries between $75,000 and $100,000, driven by growth in construction, manufacturing, and skilled trades sectors.
• Despite these opportunities, experts emphasize that college degrees generally lead to higher salaries and lower unemployment, and societal attitudes still favor college education as a path to economic success.
• Some skilled trades requiring apprenticeships, such as elevator and escalator installers and repairers, also offer median salaries of $100,000 or more, with projected employment growth, while certain high-paying jobs like nuclear power reactor operators are expected to decline.