Chicago — Jan. 31

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 more than 90 national and state employment resources and includes detailed information on employees and self-employed workers.

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:

• Air Traffic Controller — $113,547
• Radiation Therapist — $76,627
• Dental Hygienist — $70,408
• Nuclear Medicine Technologist — $69,638
• Nuclear Technician — $68,037
• Nurse — $65,853
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographer — $65,499
• Fashion Designer — $63,170
• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technician — $61,547
• Engineering Technician (except drafters) — $58,698

Best-Paying Jobs Requiring a Bachelor's Degree

• Petroleum Engineer — $122,242
• Airline Pilot, Copilot and Flight Engineer — $105,518
• Aerospace Engineer — $102,409
• Nuclear Engineer — $99,715
• Computer Hardware Engineer — $98,134
• Software Developer, Systems Software — $96,034
• Chemical Engineer — $92,934
• Electronics Engineer (excluding computer) — $91,478
• Actuary — $91,062
• Atmospheric and Space Scientist — $89,794

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

Source: CareerBuilder