Highest-paying jobs in blue-collar work
The 258 blue-collar work occupations BLS publishes, ranked by national median pay, with the education each typically needs to enter.
The highest-paying blue-collar work occupation is Airline Pilot, with a BLS national median of $232,140 a year (May 2025). 9 of the 258 blue-collar work occupations BLS publishes have a median of $100,000 or more; the best-paid one that typically needs less than a bachelor's degree is Air Traffic Controller ($148,080).
40 best-paid of 258 occupations
Data BLS OEWS May 2025 national median annual wages.
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Typical entry-level education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airline Pilot | $232,140 | annual only | Bachelor's degree | 103,560 |
| 2 | Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | $71.19 | Associate's degree | 22,510 |
| 3 | Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | annual only | Postsecondary certificate | 47,630 |
| 4 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $122,890 | $59.08 | High school diploma | 5,150 |
| 5 | Elevator Mechanic | $109,910 | $52.84 | High school diploma | 23,790 |
| 6 | Ship Engineers | $109,530 | $52.66 | Postsecondary certificate | 8,400 |
| 7 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $106,730 | $51.31 | High school diploma | 8,520 |
| 8 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | $49.53 | Postsecondary certificate | 20,720 |
| 9 | Power Plant Operator | $102,040 | $49.06 | High school diploma | 29,320 |
| 10 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $96,710 | $46.50 | High school diploma | 33,160 |
| 11 | Lineman | $95,320 | $45.83 | High school diploma | 131,070 |
| 12 | Ship Captain | $92,460 | $44.45 | Postsecondary certificate | 36,850 |
| 13 | Signal and Track Switch Repairers | $92,460 | $44.45 | High school diploma | 8,720 |
| 14 | Transportation Inspectors | $92,100 | $44.28 | High school diploma | 24,500 |
| 15 | Gas Plant Operators | $87,820 | $42.22 | High school diploma | 18,030 |
| 16 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | $86,380 | $41.53 | High school diploma | 10,200 |
| 17 | Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | $84,890 | $40.81 | Postsecondary certificate | 6,940 |
| 18 | Avionics Technician | $82,280 | $39.56 | Postsecondary certificate | 18,830 |
| 19 | Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 | $39.14 | High school diploma | 33,470 |
| 20 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | $38.42 | High school diploma | 812,210 |
| 21 | Aircraft Mechanic | $79,870 | $38.40 | Postsecondary certificate | 138,090 |
| 22 | First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,860 | $38.39 | High school diploma | 617,500 |
| 23 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | $78,620 | $37.80 | High school diploma | 28,250 |
| 24 | Roof Bolters, Mining | $78,540 | $37.76 | High school diploma | 2,160 |
| 25 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | $78,120 | $37.56 | High school diploma | 16,610 |
| 26 | Train Conductor | $78,000 | $37.50 | High school diploma | 46,440 |
| 27 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | $77,320 | $37.17 | High school diploma | 3,510 |
| 28 | Boilermaker | $76,410 | $36.74 | High school diploma | 10,190 |
| 29 | Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $76,170 | $36.62 | High school diploma | 1,180 |
| 30 | Home Inspector | $74,690 | $35.91 | High school diploma | 146,720 |
| 31 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | $35.82 | No formal credential | 5,930 |
| 32 | First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $74,450 | $35.79 | High school diploma | 673,430 |
| 33 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $74,340 | $35.74 | High school diploma | 48,240 |
| 34 | Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | $74,330 | $35.73 | High school diploma | 97,720 |
| 35 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | $74,090 | $35.62 | Postsecondary certificate | 65,010 |
| 36 | Pile Driver Operators | $73,300 | $35.24 | High school diploma | 2,310 |
| 37 | Commercial Diver | $72,990 | $35.09 | Postsecondary certificate | 3,450 |
| 38 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $70,070 | $33.69 | High school diploma | 19,580 |
| 39 | Wellhead Pumpers | $69,960 | $33.63 | High school diploma | 17,990 |
| 40 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | $68,840 | $33.10 | High school diploma | 12,400 |
Best-paid blue-collar work jobs that typically need less than a bachelor’s degree
Data Typical entry-level education from BLS Employment Projections: no formal credential, high school, some college, a postsecondary certificate or an associate degree.
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Typical entry-level education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | Associate's degree | 22,510 |
| 2 | Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | Postsecondary certificate | 47,630 |
| 3 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | $122,890 | High school diploma | 5,150 |
| 4 | Elevator Mechanic | $109,910 | High school diploma | 23,790 |
| 5 | Ship Engineers | $109,530 | Postsecondary certificate | 8,400 |
| 6 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | $106,730 | High school diploma | 8,520 |
| 7 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | Postsecondary certificate | 20,720 |
| 8 | Power Plant Operator | $102,040 | High school diploma | 29,320 |
| 9 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | $96,710 | High school diploma | 33,160 |
| 10 | Lineman | $95,320 | High school diploma | 131,070 |
Pay versus size
Data The largest blue-collar work occupation by employment is Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (2,950,280 employed, median $40,240). The median of the 258 occupation medians is not a BLS figure and is not shown; each row is the occupation's own BLS median.
How this page is built
Occupations in BLS farming, fishing and forestry (SOC 45), construction and extraction (47), installation, maintenance and repair (49), production (51) and transportation and material moving (53) occupations, ranked by BLS national median annual wage (OEWS May 2025); BLS residual “all other” categories are left out. Education is the BLS typical entry-level education, not a legal requirement.
- Pay at a specific employer or in your state.
- Starting pay: medians include experienced workers.
- Which job fits your goals: pay is one factor among many.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (released Aug 27, 2026; public domain): typical entry-level education, work experience, on-the-job training, projected change and annual openings.