{"h1":"Occupations needing no college degree with the highest posted pay","faq":[{"a":"First-line supervisors of security workers has the highest median posted pay of the occupations that typically need no college degree (a high school diploma or less): $209k a year.","q":"Which occupation ranks first: occupations needing no college degree with the highest posted pay?"},{"a":"18 occupations have at least 100 open jobs, so the list has 18 entries.","q":"How many occupations are ranked?"},{"a":"An occupation is a standard occupation (SOC) code, and the group is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for it: here, no college degree (a high school diploma or less). An occupation's score is the median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range. A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only occupations with at least 100 open jobs and 30 that post pay are ranked.","q":"How is the ranking calculated?"},{"a":"Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.","q":"How often is it updated?"}],"lead":"First-line supervisors of security workers has the highest median posted pay of the occupations that typically need no college degree (a high school diploma or less): $209k a year.","minN":100,"rows":[{"n":187,"bar":1,"key":"soc:33-1091","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"First-line supervisors of security workers","rank":1,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"187"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$209k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+3.7%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"82,700"}],"value":208800,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$209k"},{"n":114,"bar":0.8931992337164751,"key":"soc:51-8021","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Stationary engineers and boiler operators","rank":2,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"114"},{"label":"Median posted 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2035","value":"+2.7%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,272,700"}],"value":130000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$130k"},{"n":346,"bar":0.5862236590038314,"key":"soc:33-3021","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Detectives and criminal investigators","rank":5,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"346"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$122k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+0.2%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"120,500"}],"value":122403.5,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$122k"},{"n":1160,"bar":0.5762691570881227,"key":"soc:43-1011","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers","rank":6,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"1,160"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$120k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+0.1%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,506,100"}],"value":120325,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$120k"},{"n":336,"bar":0.5229885057471264,"key":"soc:13-2082","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Tax preparers","rank":7,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"336"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$109k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.7%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"95,800"}],"value":109200,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$109k"},{"n":817,"bar":0.5148467432950191,"key":"soc:11-9141","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Property, real estate, and community association managers","rank":8,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"817"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$108k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+3.7%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"460,400"}],"value":107500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$108k"},{"n":456,"bar":0.4954501915708812,"key":"soc:49-1011","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers","rank":9,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"456"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$103k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+4.1%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"629,000"}],"value":103450,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$103k"},{"n":272,"bar":0.4250478927203065,"key":"soc:43-6012","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Legal secretaries and administrative assistants","rank":10,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"272"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$89k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−5.2%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"157,600"}],"value":88750,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$89k"},{"n":325,"bar":0.3915229885057471,"key":"soc:41-1011","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"First-line supervisors of retail sales workers","rank":11,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"325"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$82k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−3.7%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,419,800"}],"value":81750,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$82k"},{"n":1227,"bar":0.3831417624521073,"key":"soc:41-4012","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products","rank":12,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"1,227"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$80k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−0.9%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,279,400"}],"value":80000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$80k"},{"n":948,"bar":0.3831417624521073,"key":"soc:13-1031","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators","rank":13,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"948"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$80k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−5.5%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"376,100"}],"value":80000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$80k"},{"n":410,"bar":0.3743438697318008,"key":"soc:43-6011","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants","rank":14,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"410"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$78k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+0.0%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"489,300"}],"value":78163,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$78k"},{"n":874,"bar":0.371168582375479,"key":"soc:41-2031","sub":"No formal educational credential","href":null,"name":"Retail salespersons","rank":15,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"874"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$78k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−0.3%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"3,998,100"}],"value":77500,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$78k"},{"n":475,"bar":0.3591954022988506,"key":"soc:41-3021","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Insurance sales agents","rank":16,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"475"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$75k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"+3.3%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"572,600"}],"value":75000,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$75k"},{"n":1792,"bar":0.2977969348659004,"key":"soc:43-6014","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive","rank":17,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"1,792"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$62k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−6.0%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"1,889,800"}],"value":62180,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$62k"},{"n":564,"bar":0.290948275862069,"key":"soc:43-3011","sub":"High school diploma or equivalent","href":null,"name":"Bill and account collectors","rank":18,"stats":[{"label":"Open jobs","value":"564"},{"label":"Median posted pay","value":"$61k"},{"label":"Projected growth to 2035","value":"−10.4%"},{"label":"Workers in the occupation","value":"160,200"}],"value":60750,"change":null,"employers":[],"valueLabel":"$61k"}],"slug":"occupations-needing-no-college-degree-with-the-highest-posted-pay","unit":"openings","scope":{"id":"us","kind":"national","name":"United States"},"title":"Occupations needing no college degree with the highest posted pay","family":"Degrees","method":["An occupation is a standard occupation (SOC) code, and the group is the typical entry-level education the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists for it: here, no college degree (a high school diploma or less). An occupation's score is the median advertised annual salary of its roles that post a salary range.","A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only occupations with at least 100 open jobs and 30 that post pay are ranked."],"builtAt":"2026-11-03T15:06:31.259Z","edition":"2026-11","measure":"dg_occpay","sources":["NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes","Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation"],"baseline":null,"keyFacts":["#1 First-line supervisors of security workers, High school diploma or equivalent: $209k","#2 Stationary engineers and boiler operators, High school diploma or equivalent: $187k","#3 Transportation, storage, and distribution managers, High school diploma or equivalent: $140k","18 occupations ranked across all occupations","Data as of November 2026"],"placeNoun":"occupations","commentary":["The lead is wide: First-line supervisors of security workers ($209k) is well clear of Legal secretaries and administrative assistants at #10 ($89k).","Stationary engineers and boiler operators reaches #2 on a sample of 114 open jobs, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.","Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel is the largest market in the top ten, with 8,206 open jobs behind its figure.","Occupations with fewer than 100 open jobs are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful."],"license":"Free to use and share with a link to https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/occupations-needing-no-college-degree-with-the-highest-posted-pay"}