Data on display
Fast growth, good pay—without a bachelor’s degree
Emily Rolen | December 2023
In 2022, about 7 out of 10 jobs were in occupations that typically require less than a bachelor’s degree for entry. The chart shows several of these occupations that are projected to have much faster employment growth than the 2.8-percent average for all occupations over the 2022–32 decade.
Employment growth, projected 2022–32, and median annual wages, 2022, in selected occupations that don't require a bachelor's degree
| Occupation |
Employment growth, projected 2022–32 (percent) |
Median annual wage, 2022 |
Employment, 2022 |
Education typically needed for entry |
On-the-job training typically needed to attain
competency in the occupation |
|
Wind turbine service technicians
|
44.9 |
$57,320 |
11,200 |
Postsecondary nondegree award |
Long-term |
|
Physical therapist assistants
|
26.1 |
$62,770 |
100,700 |
Associate's degree |
None |
|
Occupational therapy assistants
|
24.0 |
$64,250 |
45,100 |
Associate's degree |
None |
|
Massage therapists
|
18.3 |
$49,860 |
134,300 |
Postsecondary nondegree award |
None |
|
Health information technologists and medical registrars
|
16.5 |
$58,250 |
37,900 |
Associate's degree |
None |
|
Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
|
16.0 |
$60,800 |
28,500 |
Postsecondary nondegree award |
Moderate-term |
|
Industrial machinery mechanics
|
14.9 |
$59,830 |
402,200 |
High school diploma or equivalent |
Long-term |
|
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
|
14.8 |
$48,110 |
2,400 |
High school diploma or equivalent |
Moderate-term |
|
Hearing aid specialists
|
14.5 |
$59,020 |
10,200 |
High school diploma or equivalent |
Moderate-term |
|
Diagnostic medical sonographers
|
14.3 |
$81,350 |
83,800 |
Associate's degree |
None |
Wind turbine service technicians not only tops the chart, it also is projected to have the fastest employment growth of any occupation from 2022 to 2032. However, because this is a relatively small occupation, its new jobs are expected to total about 5,000 over the decade. (Hover over a bar in the chart to view data.) More than half of the occupations in the chart are related to healthcare, a field that is projected to experience strong demand throughout the decade.
The occupations shown pay well, too: Each had a median annual wage that was higher than the $46,310 median for all occupations in 2022. Diagnostic medical sonographers, with a median annual wage of $81,350 in 2022, was the highest paying occupation in the chart.
Learn more information about these and hundreds of other occupations in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Emily Rolen is an economist in the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, BLS.
Suggested citation:
Emily Rolen, "Fast growth, good pay—without a bachelor’s degree,"
Career Outlook,
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
December 2023.
United States Department of Labor
