CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you need a four-year degree to earn a big paycheck?  CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists released a list of the most lucrative professions that don't require a bachelor's and top-paying jobs that do.  The study uses EMSI's extensive labor market database, which pulls from over 90 national and state employment resources and includes detailed information on employees and self-employed workers.

"Nearly one in five employers (18 percent) reported that their educational requirements for jobs in their organizations have increased over the last five years," said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America.  "A college education is one of the best investments you can make.  Not only does it increase the amount of opportunities available to you, it also significantly boosts your earning potential."     

Best-Paying Jobs Requiring an Associate's Degree

While job requirements and pay will vary by organization, top-paying jobs based on median salary in the U.S. include:

1. Air Traffic Controller – $113,547 – manages air traffic to ensure safe flying¹
2. Radiation Therapist – $76,627 – treats cancer and other diseases with radiation
3. Dental Hygienist - $70,408 – examines patients, cleans teeth and provides other dental care
4. Nuclear Medicine Technologist - $69,638 – prepares and administers radioactive drugs and uses this when scanning patients for abnormalities
5. Nuclear Technician - $68,037 – assists in nuclear research and production
6. Nurse - $65,853 – provides patient care and educates patients about various health conditions
7. Diagnostic Medical Sonographer - $65,499 – diagnoses medical conditions using special imaging equipment such as an ultrasound, sonogram, etc.
8. Fashion Designer - $63,170 – creates clothing, shoes and accessories
9. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technician - $61,547 – operates equipment used in developing and testing new aircraft and spacecraft
10. Engineering Technician (except drafters) - $58,698 – help engineers and scientists in research and development, specializing in different areas

Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a Bachelor's Degree

1. Petroleum Engineer - $122,242 – design methods for extracting oil and gas from the earth's surface
2. Airline Pilot, Copilot and Flight Engineer - $105,518 – flies and navigates aircraft
3. Aerospace Engineer - $102,409 – designs aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles
4. Nuclear Engineer - $99,715 – researches and develops ways to get benefits from nuclear energy and radiation
5. Computer Hardware Engineer - $98,134 – designs, develops and tests computer equipment
6. Software Developer, Systems Software - $96,034 – develops computer applications and underlying systems
7. Chemical Engineer - $92,934 – applies chemistry, biology and physics to solve problems, typically involving the production of food, fuel, drugs, chemicals, etc
8. Electronics Engineer (excluding computer) - $91,478 – designs and develops electronic components for use in fields such as telecommunications, aerospace, acoustics, etc
9. Actuary - $91,062 – analyzes the financial cost of risk and uncertainty
10. Atmospheric and Space Scientist - $89,794 – investigates the atmosphere and meteorological data to prepare reports and forecasts; includes weather analysts and forecasters.

¹ Occupation definitions are based on information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

About EMSI

Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) is a CareerBuilder company that provides industry-leading employment data and economic analysis via web tools and custom reports. EMSI has produced more than 1,200 comprehensive impact analyses for colleges and universities in the US and internationally, and its web tools — Analyst and Career Coach — are used by thousands of professionals in higher education, workforce and economic development, and the private sector.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 50 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and talent and compensation intelligence to recruitment solutions. More than 10,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact    
Jennifer Grasz    
773-527-1164    
Jennifer.Grasz@careerbuilder.com    
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder