High paying construction jobs in America with no degree

The best paid construction occupations in America that require no bachelor's degree — a high school diploma, a certificate, or an associate's degree is the typical entry. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920
High school diploma or equivalent
$53,280 – $128,260812,210
2Construction and Building Inspectors$74,690
High school diploma or equivalent
$47,140 – $114,200146,720
3Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,150 – $108,420465,840
4Electricians$63,190
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,640 – $108,510757,220
5Structural Iron and Steel Workers$62,780
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,580 – $108,26068,380
6Brickmasons and Blockmasons$62,120
High school diploma or equivalent
$44,820 – $100,01052,550
7Sheet Metal Workers$61,800
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,630 – $105,650119,770
8Carpenters$60,580
High school diploma or equivalent
$40,410 – $99,910670,090
9Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,190 – $101,090478,090
10Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers$58,930
No formal educational credential
$38,460 – $102,01083,080
11Glaziers$57,080
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,300 – $89,79058,480
12Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$57,020
No formal educational credential
$39,190 – $85,480206,170
13Roofers$55,440
No formal educational credential
$37,460 – $81,720135,490
14Highway Maintenance Workers$50,260
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,230 – $71,970154,960
15Hazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,460 – $82,41051,710
16Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400
No formal educational credential
$37,440 – $78,810225,190
17Construction Laborers$47,120
No formal educational credential
$35,090 – $78,0901.1M
18Helpers--Electricians$42,670
High school diploma or equivalent
$33,020 – $58,34063,630

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$79,920	$53,280 – $128,260	812,210
2	Construction and Building InspectorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$74,690	$47,140 – $114,200	146,720
3	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,800	$44,150 – $108,420	465,840
4	ElectriciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$63,190	$42,640 – $108,510	757,220
5	Structural Iron and Steel WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,780	$44,580 – $108,260	68,380
6	Brickmasons and BlockmasonsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$62,120	$44,820 – $100,010	52,550
7	Sheet Metal WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$61,800	$38,630 – $105,650	119,770
8	CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$60,580	$40,410 – $99,910	670,090
9	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,850	$42,190 – $101,090	478,090
10	Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersNo formal educational credential	$58,930	$38,460 – $102,010	83,080
11	GlaziersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$57,080	$37,300 – $89,790	58,480
12	Cement Masons and Concrete FinishersNo formal educational credential	$57,020	$39,190 – $85,480	206,170
13	RoofersNo formal educational credential	$55,440	$37,460 – $81,720	135,490
14	Highway Maintenance WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,260	$36,230 – $71,970	154,960
15	Hazardous Materials Removal WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$49,450	$38,460 – $82,410	51,710
16	Painters, Construction and MaintenanceNo formal educational credential	$49,400	$37,440 – $78,810	225,190
17	Construction LaborersNo formal educational credential	$47,120	$35,090 – $78,090	1.1M
18	Helpers--ElectriciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$42,670	$33,020 – $58,340	63,630

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in America. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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