The Best-Paying Careers You Can Get Without a Graduate Degree (2026)

Abstract

This brief ranks the 187 occupations in our catalog whose typical entry point is a bachelor’s degree or less, by national median annual wage, using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (wages May 2025)^[1]. Airline Pilot ranks first, at a national median of $232,140, followed by Entrepreneur / Business Founder ($213,990) and Marketing Manager ($166,790). 56 of the 187 occupations report a median wage of $100,000 or more. Occupations whose typical entry requires a master’s or doctoral degree are excluded.

Key findings

1. Airline Pilot ranks first, at a national median wage of $232,140, with a typical entry point of bachelor's degree + faa atp certificate^[1].
2. 56 of the 187 occupations report a median wage of $100,000 or more without a graduate degree as the typical entry point.
3. 4 of the ten highest-paying are in business & management; the remainder are largely business and management roles.

Data and methods

We include an occupation when its typical entry-level education, as reported by the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook^[1], is a bachelor’s degree or less, and rank the set by national median annual wage. An occupation that lists a graduate degree as preferred for advancement is retained when a bachelor’s degree is sufficient to enter. The Handbook draws its wage estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey^[2] and its growth figures from the BLS Employment Projections program^[3]. Median wage is the midpoint of the wage distribution for an occupation, so early-career workers typically earn below it.

Table 1. Occupations by median wage, bachelor’s degree or less

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook; wages May 2025, growth projected 2024 to 2034^[1].

Limitations

• Median wage is the midpoint for an occupation, not entry pay; new workers usually start below it^[1].
• “Typical entry” education is the common path the BLS reports, not an absolute requirement; some workers enter with more or less.
• Figures are national medians; pay varies by state, metro area, and employer.
• The ranking covers the occupations in our catalog, not every occupation in the economy.

Common questions

References

1. [1] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Direct source of the median wage, typical-entry education, and growth figures used here (wages May 2025; projections 2024 to 2034). https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
2. [2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). The survey underlying Occupational Outlook Handbook wage estimates. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
3. [3] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. The program underlying Occupational Outlook Handbook growth projections. https://www.bls.gov/emp/