Certificates, diplomas and on-the-job training
Highest-Paying Healthcare Jobs Without a Degree
34 healthcare jobs usually start without a college degree, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ranked by what BLS measured people in them earn (May 2025), with what their open jobs on this board post and how many are open today.
Without a degree, best paid first
BLS's typical entry education and its national median hourly wage for each, beside the median hourly rate the job's open postings here state and how many are open.
| Job | Typical entry | BLS median | Open jobs post | Open now | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice manager | High school diploma or equivalent | $33.41/hr | $30.03/hr | 851 | +0.1% |
| Surgical first assistant | Postsecondary nondegree award | $32.11/hr | $44.15/hr | 365 | +6.1% |
| Surgical technologist | Postsecondary nondegree award | $31.08/hr | $36.87/hr | 3,556 | +5.0% |
| Licensed practical nurse | Postsecondary nondegree award | $30.96/hr | $32/hr | 13,723 | +3.0% |
| Paramedic | Postsecondary nondegree award | $29.13/hr | $30.13/hr | 972 | +5.7% |
| Community health worker | High school diploma or equivalent | $24.93/hr | $24.86/hr | 219 | +12.7% |
| Medical coder | Postsecondary nondegree award | $24.59/hr | $32.18/hr | 557 | +7.8% |
| Health information technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $24.59/hr | $22.40/hr | 217 | +7.8% |
| Medical biller | High school diploma or equivalent | $23.32/hr | $23.24/hr | 377 | -0.1% |
| Dental assistant | Postsecondary nondegree award | $23.11/hr | $24.53/hr | 1,158 | +7.4% |
| Sterile processing technician | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.93/hr | $27.12/hr | 1,097 | +10.8% |
| Peer support specialist | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.08/hr | $22/hr | 615 | +7.4% |
| Patient access representative | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.08/hr | $22.75/hr | 4,356 | -10.4% |
| Health unit coordinator | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.08/hr | $21.99/hr | 887 | +4.8% |
| Medical scheduler | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.08/hr | $23.35/hr | 1,208 | +4.8% |
| Medical administrative assistant | High school diploma or equivalent | $22.08/hr | $22.87/hr | 1,602 | +4.8% |
| Pharmacy technician | High school diploma or equivalent | $22/hr | $25.29/hr | 2,952 | +6.4% |
| Medical assistant | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.97/hr | $24.33/hr | 9,894 | +12.9% |
| Ophthalmic technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.91/hr | $26.75/hr | 411 | +21.4% |
| Phlebotomist | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.75/hr | $22.56/hr | 2,091 | +6.8% |
| Behavioral health technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.70/hr | $21.78/hr | 1,759 | +22.3% |
| Registered behavior technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.70/hr | $24/hr | 2,725 | +22.3% |
| Emergency room technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.38/hr | $24/hr | 486 | +5.8% |
| Emergency medical technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $21.38/hr | $24.50/hr | 752 | +5.8% |
| Certified nursing assistant | Postsecondary nondegree award | $20.32/hr | $21.25/hr | 12,256 | +2.6% |
| Patient care technician | Postsecondary nondegree award | $20.32/hr | $21.91/hr | 5,085 | +2.6% |
| Medical scribe | Postsecondary nondegree award | $19.43/hr | $22.50/hr | 195 | -4.4% |
| Patient sitter | High school diploma or equivalent | $18.41/hr | $19.40/hr | 292 | +4.0% |
| Patient transporter | High school diploma or equivalent | $18.41/hr | $20.15/hr | 509 | +4.0% |
| Medical receptionist | High school diploma or equivalent | $18.27/hr | $19/hr | 2,175 | -1.7% |
| Home health aide | High school diploma or equivalent | $17.21/hr | $19/hr | 2,637 | +18.1% |
| Caregiver | High school diploma or equivalent | $17.21/hr | $17.50/hr | 11,316 | +18.1% |
| Direct support professional | High school diploma or equivalent | $17.21/hr | $19.50/hr | 2,904 | +18.1% |
| Rehab aide | High school diploma or equivalent | $16.94/hr | $19.74/hr | 553 | +4.0% |
With a two-year associate degree
The same measures for the jobs whose usual entry is an associate degree.
| Job | Typical entry | BLS median | Open jobs post | Open now | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radiation therapist | Associate's degree | $50.63/hr | $52.91/hr | 691 | +2.8% |
| Nuclear medicine technologist | Associate's degree | $48.74/hr | $52.57/hr | 1,163 | +4.4% |
| Dental hygienist | Associate's degree | $47.16/hr | $51.84/hr | 623 | +8.0% |
| Sonographer | Associate's degree | $46.44/hr | $48/hr | 3,693 | +13.9% |
| MRI technologist | Associate's degree | $45.91/hr | $48.24/hr | 2,013 | +7.7% |
| Respiratory therapist | Associate's degree | $39.56/hr | $42.32/hr | 4,538 | +8.5% |
| Radiologic technologist | Associate's degree | $38.52/hr | $43.83/hr | 10,383 | +5.0% |
| Cardiovascular technologist | Associate's degree | $35.73/hr | $48.94/hr | 1,494 | +3.7% |
| EKG technician | Associate's degree | $35.73/hr | $23.62/hr | 112 | +3.7% |
| Monitor technician | Associate's degree | $35.73/hr | $23.07/hr | 494 | +3.7% |
| Occupational therapy assistant | Associate's degree | $34.76/hr | $35/hr | 2,361 | +21.5% |
| Physical therapist assistant | Associate's degree | $32.88/hr | $35/hr | 3,859 | +23.0% |
| Dietetic technician | Associate's degree | $18.09/hr | $24/hr | 81 | +2.7% |
Healthcare jobs without a degree: common questions
What are the highest-paying healthcare jobs without a degree?
By what the US Bureau of Labor Statistics measured people in them earn (median, May 2025): practice managers ($33.41 an hour), surgical first assistants ($32.11 an hour), surgical technologists ($31.08 an hour), licensed practical nurses ($30.96 an hour) and paramedics ($29.13 an hour). Each starts with a certificate, a diploma or on-the-job training rather than a college degree, by BLS's Employment Projections.
Which healthcare jobs without a degree are hiring the most right now?
By open jobs on this board today: licensed practical nurses (13,723), certified nursing assistants (12,256) and caregivers (11,316), read every night from employers' own job boards.
How long does the training take?
Practice manager: A high school diploma with medical office experience; many employers ask for a bachelor's degree. Surgical first assistant: surgical technology experience, then a surgical assisting program and the CSFA exam. Surgical technologist: A certificate or associate degree from an accredited surgical technology program, then the CST exam.
And with a two-year associate degree?
The best paid by BLS's median: radiation therapists ($50.63 an hour), nuclear medicine technologists ($48.74 an hour), dental hygienists ($47.16 an hour), sonographers ($46.44 an hour) and MRI technologists ($45.91 an hour) (all of them).
Sources and method
The education is BLS's typical entry for the occupation's main code, and the median is what BLS measured people employed in it earn across the US. "Open jobs post" is the median of the hourly rates the occupation's open postings here state, when enough do. An occupation BLS files only under an "all other" code is left out, since those figures are not about it.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035: typical entry education and outlook
- CareJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Highest-Paying Healthcare Jobs Without a Degree. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/healthcare-jobs-without-a-degree