How to read this list
- Median means half of workers earn more and half earn less (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national, all industries). New hires usually start below the median, so the table also shows the 10th and 25th percentiles as a rough guide to entry pay.
- Typical entry-level education is the BLS label for how most people enter the job, from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH, pages last modified August 27 or September 14, 2026). "No formal educational credential" means no diploma required. "High school diploma" means a diploma or equivalent. "Postsecondary nondegree award" means a certificate from a school, such as truck driving school or a medical assistant program; BLS says a certificate from a postsecondary school "is a postsecondary nondegree award." It is not a degree.
- When an OOH page covers a group of jobs, the row uses that page's education field or its "How to Become One" text: construction laborers and helpers "typically do not need a formal educational credential," masons "typically need a high school diploma or equivalent," and forklift operators fall under material moving machine operators, where "no formal educational credential is typically required" (BLS OOH).
- Apprenticeship jobs take years of paid training. Most electricians, for example, "learn their trade in a 4- or 5-year apprenticeship program" (BLS OOH, Electricians). Helpers in the building trades have medians from $20.36 to $21.05 (table below).
- Pay varies by metro. The pay benchmarks show medians for JobPin cities.
38 jobs with a national median of $20 an hour or more, no degree required
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| SOC | Job | Median hourly | Entry pay guide (10th to 25th percentile) | Typical entry-level education and training (BLS OOH) | JobPin category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49-9051 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers | $45.83 | $24.74 to $32.34 | High school diploma; long-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-2152 | Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $30.67 | $21.22 to $24.13 | High school diploma; apprenticeship | General labor |
| 47-2111 | Electricians | $30.38 | $20.50 to $23.76 | High school diploma; apprenticeship | General labor |
| 49-9021 | HVAC mechanics and installers | $29.33 | $19.25 to $23.25 | Postsecondary nondegree award; long-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-2031 | Carpenters | $29.12 | $19.43 to $23.32 | High school diploma; apprenticeship | General labor |
| 43-5052 | Postal service mail carriers | $29.11 | $20.38 to $23.53 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training; written exam | Delivery |
| 51-8031 | Water and wastewater treatment plant operators | $28.86 | $18.80 to $23.10 | High school diploma; long-term on-the-job training; state license usually required | General labor |
| 47-2073 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | $28.78 | $20.28 to $23.40 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 53-3052 | Bus drivers, transit and intercity | $28.39 | $19.25 to $22.85 | High school diploma; CDL required | Driver |
| 33-3012 | Correctional officers and jailers | $28.34 | $20.56 to $23.38 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | No JobPin category; search by title |
| 47-2081 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers | $28.33 | $18.49 to $22.81 | No formal educational credential; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 53-3032 | Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | $28.19 | $19.30 to $23.06 | Postsecondary nondegree award (truck driving school); CDL required | Driver |
| 43-5053 | Postal mail sorters, processors and machine operators | $28.11 | $21.89 to $23.50 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training; written exam | Warehouse |
| 47-2051 | Cement masons and concrete finishers | $27.41 | $18.84 to $22.60 | High school diploma; apprenticeship or on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-2181 | Roofers | $26.65 | $18.01 to $22.24 | No formal educational credential; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 51-4121 | Welders, cutters, solderers and brazers | $25.84 | $18.87 to $22.50 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-2231 | Solar photovoltaic installers | $25.55 | $20.00 to $22.45 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 49-3023 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics | $24.34 | $16.66 to $18.70 | Postsecondary nondegree award; short-term on-the-job training | No JobPin category; search by title |
| 53-7081 | Refuse and recyclable material collectors | $23.89 | $16.15 to $18.79 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | Driver |
| 49-9071 | Maintenance and repair workers, general | $23.84 | $17.00 to $19.64 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-2141 | Painters, construction and maintenance | $23.75 | $18.00 to $21.46 | No formal educational credential; moderate-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 31-9091 | Dental assistants | $23.11 | $17.85 to $21.32 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Healthcare |
| 53-3051 | Bus drivers, school | $23.04 | $14.06 to $18.58 | High school diploma; CDL required | Driver |
| 47-2061 | Construction laborers | $22.66 | $16.87 to $18.57 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 53-7051 | Industrial truck and tractor (forklift) operators | $22.32 | $17.71 to $19.24 | No formal educational credential | Warehouse |
| 29-2052 | Pharmacy technicians | $22.00 | $17.32 to $18.20 | High school diploma; moderate-term on-the-job training | Healthcare |
| 31-9092 | Medical assistants | $21.97 | $17.33 to $18.50 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Healthcare |
| 43-5071 | Shipping, receiving and inventory clerks | $21.76 | $16.66 to $18.37 | High school diploma | Warehouse |
| 31-9097 | Phlebotomists | $21.75 | $17.20 to $18.36 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Healthcare |
| 43-9061 | Office clerks, general | $21.64 | $14.57 to $17.48 | High school diploma; short-term on-the-job training | Remote and office |
| 53-3033 | Light truck drivers | $21.57 | $14.81 to $17.92 | High school diploma; short-term on-the-job training | Delivery |
| 43-4051 | Customer service representatives | $21.53 | $15.27 to $17.72 | High school diploma; short-term on-the-job training | Customer service |
| 29-2042 | Emergency medical technicians | $21.38 | $16.41 to $18.25 | Postsecondary nondegree award; state license required | Healthcare |
| 47-3012 | Helpers, carpenters | $21.05 | $15.22 to $17.66 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-3013 | Helpers, electricians | $20.51 | $15.88 to $17.71 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-3019 | Helpers, construction trades, all other | $20.51 | $15.82 to $17.80 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 47-3015 | Helpers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $20.36 | $16.15 to $17.76 | No formal educational credential; short-term on-the-job training | General labor |
| 31-1131 | Nursing assistants | $20.32 | $16.32 to $17.91 | State-approved training program and state competency exam | Healthcare |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national cross-industry hourly 10th percentile, 25th percentile and median, pulled from the BLS Public Data API on October 21, 2026. Education, training and license notes: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, read October 21, 2026.
Jobs that just miss $20 nationally: laborers and freight, stock and material movers $19.35; security guards $18.28; stockers and order fillers $17.95; shuttle drivers and chauffeurs $17.93; home health and personal care aides $17.21; retail salespersons $17.03; cashiers $15.81 (BLS OEWS, May 2025, national medians). In high-wage metros several of these cross $20. Check the pay benchmarks for your city.
What you earn on day one
The median is not the starting rate. The 10th percentile is what the lowest-paid tenth of workers earn, and the 25th percentile is what the lowest-paid quarter earn, so the two together are a rough guide to entry pay (BLS OEWS, May 2025, national).
What this means for a few common entry points:
- Heavy truck drivers: $19.30 at the 10th percentile and $23.06 at the 25th, against a $28.19 median.
- Forklift operators and construction laborers: $16.87 to $19.24 at the 10th and 25th percentiles, against medians of $22.32 and $22.66.
- Medical assistants: $17.33 at the 10th percentile, against a $21.97 median.
- Nursing assistants: $16.32 at the 10th percentile, against a $20.32 median.
Use these numbers to judge a posting's range; see how to read pay on a job posting.
Where the openings are
The BLS projects average annual openings over 2025 to 2035. Many of them come from the need to replace workers who move to other jobs or leave the labor force (BLS OOH, pages last modified August 27, 2026):
- Customer service representatives: about 289,500 openings a year, even though employment is projected to fall 5%.
- General office clerks: about 249,000 a year, with employment projected to fall 6%.
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers: about 214,500 a year; employment up 4%.
- Nursing assistants and orderlies: about 203,300 a year; up 3%.
- Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers: about 152,700 a year; up 7%.
- General maintenance and repair workers: about 148,700 a year; up 4%.
- Construction laborers and helpers: about 137,000 a year; up 6%.
- Medical assistants: about 109,700 a year; up 13%, much faster than average.
- Bus drivers: about 77,600 a year. Electricians: about 72,700. Material moving machine operators, which include forklift operators: about 70,700. Carpenters: about 62,800. Pharmacy technicians: about 44,700. Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters: about 42,000. HVAC mechanics and installers: about 40,600. Welders: about 40,300. Postal service workers: about 32,200, with employment projected to decline 1%. Water and wastewater treatment plant operators: about 10,000, with a 6% decline.
Employers that post $20-plus rates for entry roles on their own sites in October 2026: Amazon said on September 16, 2026 that minimum starting pay for U.S. full-time core operations roles is $20 an hour, with average pay near $24 (Amazon; AP, September 16, 2026). The FedEx package handler posting in Hagerstown, MD lists $21.75 to $23.75 an hour, and the UPS seasonal package handler posting in Winchester, VA lists $21.00 (postings viewed October 21, 2026). All three pay hourly warehouse workers weekly; see jobs that pay weekly.
Find them on JobPin by category and city:
- CDL and local drivers: driver jobs, including Dallas and Houston. Start with the driver jobs guide.
- Forklift, shipping and mail processing: warehouse jobs, including Dallas and Chicago.
- Medical assistants, CNAs, phlebotomists, EMTs: healthcare jobs, including Houston and Boston. See the healthcare jobs guide.
- Trades helpers, laborers, maintenance: general labor jobs, including Denver and Phoenix. See the general labor jobs guide.
- Light truck and mail carriers: delivery jobs. Customer service reps: customer service jobs. Office clerks: remote and office jobs.
- Hiring events: job fairs.
No experience yet? Start with best jobs with no experience, then move up inside the same category.
How to get from $17 to $20 and beyond
- Get the credential the job asks for. Truck driving school and a CDL for heavy truck driving, a medical assistant or phlebotomy certificate, an EMT course and state license (BLS OOH). Some carriers cover CDL school in return for a work commitment; our paid CDL training guide compares them.
- Join a trades apprenticeship. Electricians, plumbers and carpenters typically train through apprenticeships, and their medians run from $29.12 to $30.67 (BLS OOH; BLS OEWS, May 2025). How it works: electrician apprenticeship.
- Ask about shift differentials. Some employers pay extra for nights or weekends. Add it to the base rate before you compare; see night shift warehouse jobs.
- Check pay frequency and early-pay fees before you jump. See pay frequency laws by state and earned wage access explained.
- Compare the posting with the benchmark. If a posting offers below the 25th percentile for your metro, ask why or keep looking.
Current openings
See driver jobs, warehouse jobs, healthcare jobs, general labor jobs and delivery jobs. By city: Dallas drivers, Houston healthcare, Denver general labor, Chicago warehouse.
Source-linked openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source. Open the source posting, check the posting date, and confirm the pay rate on the employer's own site before you give personal information. A real employer never asks you to pay for training, a CDL permit or equipment before you are hired, and never hires you over WhatsApp or text. Freshness labels come from provider timestamps; see how to read "hiring now" labels. How we check listings: how JobPin verifies listings.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.