Not all high-paying jobs require a four-year college degree or more. Some of the most satisfying careers—both financially and personally—are trade jobs.
A trade job is a position that requires in-depth, hands-on training rather than an advanced degree. Some trade jobs require associates degrees, which you can earn in two years. Many trades require certification, which you can typically earn in a year or less.
By pursuing one of the highest paying trade jobs listed below, you can grant yourself the opportunity for financial freedom with significantly less investment upfront.
Top 15 Highest Paying Trade Jobs
If you’re interested in pursuing a trade, you might already know what kind of work you’re interested in doing. Maybe you’re skilled with small tools and delicate wires, or perhaps you’d prefer working with large machinery.
Whether you know what you want to do already or not, it’s worth checking out the top 15 highest paying trade jobs listed below. We’ll use official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to present the average salaries and other information for each trade.
1. Pilot, Copilot, or Flight Engineer
- Average base salary: $169,560
- Employment: 82,890
Pilots and flight engineers are some of the highest-paid trade workers in the United States. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers earn between $65,690 on the low end and over $208,000 on the high end.
As a pilot or copilot, you would operate and navigate a passenger or cargo aircraft along scheduled air carrier routes.
A flight engineer (sometimes called an air engineer) is sometimes part of a flight crew and is in charge of monitoring complex aircraft systems. Modern aircraft rarely have flight engineers onboard since the advent of advanced circuitry and computers. However, flight engineers are still called upon in some circumstances, including spacecraft operation.
Earning a bachelor’s degree can help you achieve your dream to become a pilot, but it’s not required. Instead, you need to attend flight school, a pilot trade program, or an airline cadet program and achieve certification.
The top cities for pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are:
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Denver, CO
- Tampa, FL
2. Air Traffic Controller
- Average base salary: $120,830
- Employment: 22,390
Maybe you’re interested in an aviation career, but you want to stay on the ground. You might be considering the second highest paying trade job, air traffic controller.
The role of an air traffic controller is crucial to national security and safety. It can be a highly stressful position involving life and death decisions, which is why it pays so well. Air traffic controllers earn between $68,090 and $178,650 per year.
The top cities for air traffic controllers are:
- Sacramento, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Boston, MA
- Atlanta, GA
- New York, NY
3. Construction Manager
- Average base salary: $103,110
- Employment: 278,460
The BLS recommends earning a bachelor’s degree in a construction-related field if you want to become a construction manager. However, many construction managers combine an associate’s degree or trade school with years of on-the-job training.
Construction managers supervise largescale projects from start to finish, including planning, coordination, and budgeting. They earn between $55,240 and $161,510 per year.
If you want to become a construction manager without earning a four-year degree or higher, it’s a good idea to start working in construction as soon as possible.
The top cities for construction managers are:
- Atlantic City, NJ
- San Jose, CA
- Kahului, HI
- Jackson, MI
- New York, NY
4. Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
- Average base salary: $95,310
- Employment: 6,280
Nuclear power plants require skilled and highly-trained workers to run efficiently and safely. That’s why, as a nuclear power reactor operator, you would have the fourth-highest paying trade job in the U.S., with the potential to earn between $68,200 and $127,370 per year.
Nuclear reactor operators start and stop power plant equipment, monitor and adjust the controls, and record data. They also implement emergency protocols when necessary.
To become a nuclear power reactor operator, you can earn a certificate or associate’s degree in power plant technology. You can then complete an internship at a power plant, and take several aptitude tests.
You’ll then need to gain a license through the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to operate nuclear technology.
The top-paying cities for nuclear power reactor operators are:
- Boston, MA
- Northwest Illinois (nonmetropolitan area)
5. Funeral Service Manager
- Average base salary: $93,820
- Employment: 8,400
If you want to help people through times of hardship, you might find fulfillment as a funeral service manager. An added bonus is that funeral service managers have the fifth-highest paying trade jobs in the U.S.
A funeral service manager plans, directs, and coordinates the resources and services of a funeral home. As a funeral service director, you would set the prices for services and products, as well as manage the facilities and staff.
To become a funeral service manager, you’ll need to earn an associate’s degree in mortuary science, and gain licensure.
The top-paying cities for funeral service managers are:
- Warren, MI
- Boston, MA
- Albany, NY
- Washington, DC
- New York, NY
6. Radiation Therapist
- Average base salary: $86,730
- Employment: 18,260
If you want to work in medicine, but you don’t want to invest in medical school, you might consider the high-paying trade career of radiation therapy. Radiation therapists earn between $56,360 and $126,320 per year, on average.
Most radiation therapists complete associate’s degree programs, although you can also earn a bachelor’s degree. In most states, you must also be licensed or certified by a national certification exam.
The top cities for radiation therapists are:
- Sacramento, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- San Diego, CA
- New York, NY
7. Power Distributor and Dispatcher
- Average base salary: $85,340
- Employment: 11,620
Returning to the field of power management, power distributors and dispatchers hold the seventh highest paying trade jobs in the U.S. Power distributors and dispatchers earn between $54,670 on the low end and $117,860 on the high end.
Power distributors and dispatchers monitor energy usage in an area and help with power outages. They control and track power as it’s distributed and delivered to the end-user.
To become a power distributor and dispatcher, you’ll need a high school diploma or GED. You’ll also need to pass a background check and complete a training program.
The top cities for power distributors and dispatchers are:
- Sacramento, CA
- Spokane, WA
- Portland, OR
- Duluth, MN
- San Diego, CA
8. Captain, Mate, or Water Vessel Pilot
- Average base salary: $82,380
- Employment: 36,390
Perhaps you want the role of a pilot, but you want to remain earth-bound. If that’s the case, you might consider the eighth highest paying trade job: captain, mate, or pilot of a water vessel.
The BLS designation “Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels” includes workers who supervise the operations of ships and water vessels, including ferries and tugboats. Captains, mates, and ship pilots earn between $35,410 and $144,690, depending on training and experience.
To become a ship captain or pilot of a water vessel, you can begin work as a deckhand and gain on-the-job experience. You’ll likely also need to attend a merchant marine academy to gain formal training. You’ll then have to participate in additional training and earn licensure from an academy that’s approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The top cities for captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels are:
- Houma, LA
- New Orleans, LA
- Portland, OR
- New York, NY
- Seattle, WA
9. Power Plant Operator
- Average base salary: $78,030
- Employment: 33,920
Ninth on the list of highest paying trade jobs is another power-management position. Instead of working in a nuclear power plant, you could forgo the additional licensure and work in a standard power plant, as a power plant operator, instead.
Power plant operators under this designation earn between $45,590 and $106,650 annually.
The top cities for power plant operators are:
- Sacramento, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Modesto, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
- Las Vegas, NV
10. Supervisor of Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers
- Average base salary: $80,310
- Employment: 65,920
As a supervisor of firefighting and prevention workers, you would be tasked with overseeing the activities of workers who are engaged in firefighting and prevention. This can take place in an urban or rural environment, or in a wildfire-fighting setting. Another name for this role is fire chief or fire captain.
To become a fire captain of a municipal fire station or for the Forestry Department, you’ll need a high school diploma plus on-the-job firefighter training. You’ll complete a training program to become a firefighter, and then work your way up the ranks to captain.
Fire captains earn between $42,,320 and $122,910 per year, according to the BLS.
The top cities for fire captains are:
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Oxnard, CA
- Vallejo, CA
- Bakersfield, CA
11. Elevator Installer and Repairer
- Average base salary: $79,730
- Employment: 26,830
The next highest paying trade job is the career of elevator installation and repair. Elevator installers and repairers assemble, install, repair, and maintain elevators of all types. This includes electric and hydraulic elevators for both passengers and cargo, as well as escalators and dumbwaiters.
As an elevator installer and repairer, you can earn between $40,850 and $121,200 per year. To become an elevator installer and repairer, you’ll need to have a high school diploma and complete a four-year apprenticeship program.
The top cities for elevator installers and repairers are:
- Reno, NV
- Seattle, WA
- Boston, MA
- San Francisco, CA
- Worcester, MA
12. Registered Nurse
- Average base salary: $75,510
- Employment: 2,951,960
To become an advanced practice nurse—like a nurse-midwife or nurse anesthetist—you need at least a master’s degree. But to become a registered nurse, you only need an associate’s degree.
Registered nurses assess patient health and needs, develop care programs, and maintain health records. They administer care to the ill and injured, and can advise patients on health maintenance issues. RNs earn between $50,800 and $106.530.
The top cities for RNs are:
- Salinas, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- Sacramento, CA
13. Dental Hygienist
- Average base salary: $75,500
- Employment: 215,150
Number 13 on the list of highest paying trade jobs is another job in healthcare. Dental hygienists work in dental offices, cleaning patients’ teeth and examining oral areas.
They assist the dentist and may apply treatments like fluoride and sealants, as well as take and develop x-rays. They also work to educate the patient about oral hygiene. Dental hygienists earn between $51,930 and $101,820.
To become a dental hygienist, you’ll usually need to earn an associate’s degree in a related field and then earn licensure.
The top cities for dental hygienists are:
- Fairbanks, AK
- San Jose, CA
- Anchorage, AK
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
14. Transportation Inspector
- Average base salary: $75,330
- Employment: 29,990
A transportation inspector is in charge of making sure different modes of transportation—including airplanes, buses, trains, and subways—are running correctly. The job can be stressful, and it requires a lot of technical know-how.
To become a transportation inspector, you need a high school diploma plus one to two years of training.
Transportation inspectors earn between $28,870 and $123,980 per year, depending on experience level.
The top cities for transportation inspectors are:
- Anchorage, AK
- Memphis, TN
- San Antonio, TX
- Charlotte, NC
- Orlando, FL
15. Transit and Railroad Police
- Average base salary: $74,450
- Employment: 4,470
The final spot on the list of highest paying trade jobs is the career of transit and railroad police. In this career, you can work for the local, state, or federal government to ensure the safety of railroad and transit areas. You may issue citations, identify and arrest suspected criminals, and enforce traffic laws.
To become a transit and railroad police officer, you’ll need a high school diploma or equivalent plus a certification.
Transit and railroad police earn between $49,380 and $101,470.
The top cities for railroad and transit police are:
- Washington, DC
- New York, NT
- Seattle, WA
H2: Choosing One of the Highest Paying Trade Jobs
Choosing one of the highest paying trade jobs listed above comes down to more than just income. Going into a trade can grant the stability that comes with knowing an invaluable skill. With the salary and career information given above, you can better decide on the trade job that suits you best.
