High paying entry level jobs in Grand Island, NE

These occupations in Grand Island, NE ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Grand Island, NE run 13.3% below the national average (2024), so a Grand Island, NE salary is worth about 1.15× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Grand Island, NE

OccupationMedian, Grand Island, NE · Employed

1Physician Assistants$141,590
Master's degree
$103,410 – $168,40040
2Pharmacists$134,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,700 – $172,86070
3Nurse Practitioners$125,690
Master's degree
$84,020 – $170,27080
4Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$109,480
Master's degree
$47,800 – $133,39090
5Lawyers$103,150
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,840 – $164,86050
6Veterinarians$103,050
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,390 – $165,69030
7Software Developers$96,260
Bachelor's degree
$58,390 – $125,72050
8Civil Engineers$90,910
Bachelor's degree
$77,670 – $131,27040
9Occupational Therapists$87,190
Master's degree
$64,670 – $101,90060
10Physical Therapists$87,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,470 – $108,08090
11Dental Hygienists$85,660
Associate's degree
$81,650 – $94,42060
12Registered Nurses$82,590
Bachelor's degree
$61,900 – $105,940830
13Industrial Engineers$80,200
Bachelor's degree
$65,340 – $128,53060
14Project Management Specialists$77,730
Bachelor's degree
$54,550 – $136,50050
15Network and Computer Systems Administrators$76,610
Bachelor's degree
$60,440 – $140,12040
16Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$68,860
Associate's degree
$42,490 – $83,01080
17Logisticians$68,510
Bachelor's degree
$54,990 – $81,73040
18Accountants and Auditors$68,090
Bachelor's degree
$47,210 – $118,110300
19Business Operations Specialists, All Other$67,200
Bachelor's degree
$51,930 – $97,47050
20Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$65,620
Bachelor's degree
$40,450 – $83,06070
21Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$65,480
Bachelor's degree
$47,940 – $83,370180
22Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$64,940
Bachelor's degree
$40,280 – $87,17070
23Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,910
Bachelor's degree
$46,750 – $82,690340
24Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$64,530
Bachelor's degree
$40,550 – $82,140360
25Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$64,080
Bachelor's degree
$41,130 – $78,99080
26Human Resources Specialists$62,100
Bachelor's degree
$44,470 – $89,060200
27Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$61,090
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,640 – $72,950200
28Physical Therapist Assistants$60,880
Associate's degree
$53,320 – $69,11060
29Public Relations Specialists$59,780
Bachelor's degree
$43,150 – $79,78030
30Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$57,120
Bachelor's degree
$43,860 – $85,48070
31Graphic Designers$55,790
Bachelor's degree
$37,150 – $84,99050
32Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$51,980
Bachelor's degree
$35,740 – $80,99080
33Medical Records Specialists$51,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,010 – $79,47050
34Child, Family, and School Social Workers$49,810
Bachelor's degree
$39,180 – $107,070160
35Library Technicians$48,470
Postsecondary nondegree award
$28,540 – $59,73030
36Dental Assistants$46,910
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,850 – $55,880100
37Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$44,750
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,130 – $54,43050
38Medical Assistants$40,370
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,330 – $54,300100
39Nursing Assistants$38,880
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,660 – $48,350590
40Phlebotomists$37,810
Postsecondary nondegree award
$35,240 – $46,03040
41Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$30,740
Postsecondary nondegree award
$28,080 – $58,11060
42Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$28,080
Some college, no degree
$28,080 – $36,050440

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

#	Occupation	MedianGrand Island, NE	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$141,590	$103,410 – $168,400	40
2	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$134,520	$83,700 – $172,860	70
3	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$125,690	$84,020 – $170,270	80
4	Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsMaster's degree	$109,480	$47,800 – $133,390	90
5	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$103,150	$62,840 – $164,860	50
6	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$103,050	$62,390 – $165,690	30
7	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$96,260	$58,390 – $125,720	50
8	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$90,910	$77,670 – $131,270	40
9	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$87,190	$64,670 – $101,900	60
10	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$87,080	$74,470 – $108,080	90
11	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$85,660	$81,650 – $94,420	60
12	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$82,590	$61,900 – $105,940	830
13	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$80,200	$65,340 – $128,530	60
14	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$77,730	$54,550 – $136,500	50
15	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$76,610	$60,440 – $140,120	40
16	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$68,860	$42,490 – $83,010	80
17	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$68,510	$54,990 – $81,730	40
18	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$68,090	$47,210 – $118,110	300
19	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$67,200	$51,930 – $97,470	50
20	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$65,620	$40,450 – $83,060	70
21	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$65,480	$47,940 – $83,370	180
22	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$64,940	$40,280 – $87,170	70
23	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$64,910	$46,750 – $82,690	340
24	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$64,530	$40,550 – $82,140	360
25	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$64,080	$41,130 – $78,990	80
26	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$62,100	$44,470 – $89,060	200
27	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,090	$48,640 – $72,950	200
28	Physical Therapist AssistantsAssociate's degree	$60,880	$53,320 – $69,110	60
29	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$59,780	$43,150 – $79,780	30
30	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$57,120	$43,860 – $85,480	70
31	Graphic DesignersBachelor's degree	$55,790	$37,150 – $84,990	50
32	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$51,980	$35,740 – $80,990	80
33	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$51,650	$38,010 – $79,470	50
34	Child, Family, and School Social WorkersBachelor's degree	$49,810	$39,180 – $107,070	160
35	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$48,470	$28,540 – $59,730	30
36	Dental AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,910	$39,850 – $55,880	100
37	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,750	$37,130 – $54,430	50
38	Medical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$40,370	$38,330 – $54,300	100
39	Nursing AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,880	$36,660 – $48,350	590
40	PhlebotomistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$37,810	$35,240 – $46,030	40
41	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and CosmetologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$30,740	$28,080 – $58,110	60
42	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$28,080	$28,080 – $36,050	440

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Grand Island, NE. 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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By field in Grand Island, NE

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Grand Island, NE to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Grand Island, NE

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