Who says you need a college degree to earn a six-figure income? There are 30 metro areas across the United States where professionals can find employment that pays $100,000 or more annually without having four-year degrees, according to a new GOBankingRates study.
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For this study, GOBankingRates referred to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to pull data on occupations requiring only high school diplomas (or equivalent). We kept those occupations with average pay of at least $100,000 in metro areas with populations of at least 1 million. Additional data sourced includes the total number of employed people in occupations earning six figures without college degrees and the average and median salaries of those making six figures without college degrees.
Key Findings
- The Hartford, Connecticut, metro area ranks first on the list. Professionals without degrees make $112,567 on average.
- California has the most metros where workers can earn six figures without degrees. They include San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (#3), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (#8), San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad (#24) and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom (#28).
- Six-figure workers without degrees make more than $120,000 on average in three U.S. metros: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell (#16), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (#21) and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom (#28).
Take a look at the 30 best metros where you can make six figures annually in roles that don’t require college degrees.
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1. Hartford, Connecticut
- Also includes: West Hartford, East Hartford
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $112,567
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $100,560
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 4,330
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Insurance sales
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2. Tucson, Arizona
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,673
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $95,077
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 2,060
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Detective and criminal investigator
3. San Jose, California
- Also includes: Sunnyvale, Santa Clara
- Average salary of six figure earners without college degree: $119,653
- Median salary of six figure earners without college degree: $116,298
- Total employed with six figure jobs without college degrees: 53,750
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Sales
4. Memphis, Tennessee
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,705
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,910
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 1,940
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
5. Louisville, Kentucky
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $108,060
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $94,000
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 4,300
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Insurance sales
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6. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Also includes: Cary North Carolina
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $110,437
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $101,863
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,100
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of non-retail sales
7. Columbus, Ohio
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $109,050
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $105,430
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 2,990
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
8. San Francisco
- Also includes: Oakland and Fremont
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $117,425
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $113,940
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 123,120
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Sales
9. Boston
- Also includes: Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Newton, New Hampshire
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $110,967
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $105,728
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 43,960
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
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10. Baltimore
- Also includes: Columbia and Towson, Maryland
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $115,148
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $113,420
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 10,000
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of police and detectives
11. Honolulu
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $116,745
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $112,773
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 4,340
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
12. St. Louis
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $106,805
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $101,885
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,220
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
13. Seattle
- Also includes: Tacoma and Bellevue, Washington
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $117,619
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $115,590
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 55,330
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Sales
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14. New York City
- Also includes: Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $114,320
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $108,777
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 277,250
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Sales
15. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Also includes: Concord and Gastonia, North Carolina
- Average salary of six figure earners without college degree: $117,388
- Median salary of six figure earners without college degree: $98,705
- Total employed with six figure jobs without college degrees: 6,050
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of non-retail sales
16. Atlanta
- Also includes: Sandy Springs and Roswell, Georgia
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $120,952
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $114,182
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 15,790
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Insurance sales
17. Nashville, Tennessee
- Also includes: Davidson, Murfreesboro and Franklin
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $105,270
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $97,927
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,400
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
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18. Minneapolis
- Also includes: St. Paul and Bloomington, Minnesota
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $110,106
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,624
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 13,770
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Insurance sales
19. Chicago
- Also includes: Naperville and Elgin, Illinois
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $111,763
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $108,910
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 49,640
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
20. Portland, Oregon
- Also includes: Vancouver, Washington, and Hillsboro, Oregon
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $118,848
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $120,966
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 11,170
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
21. Washington, D.C.
- Also includes: Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $120,420
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $115,349
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 25,330
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Property, real estate and community association manager
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22. Buffalo, New York
- Also includes: Cheektowaga, New York
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $109,699
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $98,580
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 4,300
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Insurance sales
23. Richmond, Virginia
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $109,100
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $98,710
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,510
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of non-retail sales
24. San Diego
- Also includes: Chula Vista and Carlsbad, California
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $119,033
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $114,837
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 16,350
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
25. Houston
- Also includes: Pasadena and The Woodlands, Texas
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,643
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $99,013
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 11,040
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
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26. Cincinnati
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,277
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $107,640
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 2,700
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
27. Jacksonville, Florida
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $105,245
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $94,348
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 2,440
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
28. Sacramento, California
- Also includes: Roseville and Folsom
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $123,095
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $123,148
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 13,490
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of construction trades and extraction workers
29. Cleveland
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $104,173
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $96,060
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,180
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Transportation, storage and distribution manager
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30. Providence, Rhode Island
- Average salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $106,540
- Median salary of six-figure earners without college degrees: $101,298
- Total employed with six-figure jobs without college degrees: 3,190
- Most-employed six-figure job without college degree: Supervisor of police and detectives
Discover more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) to find the places with the most six-figure jobs that don’t require degrees. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, occupations that require only high school diplomas or equivalent were identified. Data for each occupation was also sourced from the BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook and only occupations with average pay of at least $100,000 were kept. The total population was sourced from the US Census American Community Survey for each metro area and only metros with at least 1 million were kept for this study. For each metro location, GOBankingRates found the total number of employed people in occupations that require only high school diplomas and have average salaries of at least $100,000, the average salary for all occupations in each metro that require only high school diplomas, the median salaries for all occupations in each metro that require only high school diplomas, the average number of occupations per 1,000 total occupations in each metro area that require only high school diplomas and earn an average of $100,000, the number of employed people in the most employed occupation that requires only a high school diploma, the average salary for the most employed occupation that requires only a high school diploma, and the median salary for the most employed occupation that requires only a high school diploma. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 14, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Best Metro Areas To Earn Six Figures If You Do Not Have a Degree
