
Highest paying jobs in Mobile for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Mobile for high school graduates
The average college graduate in 2020 earned $1,305 a week, while the average high school graduate takes home just $781, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Of course, college isn’t for everyone. There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college, not the least of which being cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise each year, the exception being the 2020-2021 school year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Average tuition at a public, in-state university coming in at $9,687; tuition for out-of-state students at public schools, and for everyone at private universities, is significantly higher at $21,874 and $35,087, respectively.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs for high school graduates in Mobile, AL using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay the most for high school graduates.
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#50. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $44,780
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,950
- Employment: 54,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)
#49. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,210
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- Employment: 149,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
#48. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $45,680
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,490
- Employment: 20,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($66,390)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($59,690)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($57,930)
#46 (tie). Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $46,420
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,770
- Employment: 53,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)

#46 (tie). Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $46,420
- #362 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- Employment: 253,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)
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#45. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,500
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- Employment: 119,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)

#44. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,810
- #329 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,040
- Employment: 103,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)
#43. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $47,260
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,650
- Employment: 179,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($49,970)
--- Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH ($49,680)
--- La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN ($49,470)
#42. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $47,490
- #234 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,430
- Employment: 137,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
--- Ames, IA ($68,340)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)

#41. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $47,780
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- Employment: 549,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($88,150)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($80,420)
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
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#40. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $47,850
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,150
- Employment: 68,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($70,940)
--- Salem, OR ($68,640)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)

#39. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $48,920
- #183 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 44,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

#38. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,400
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,440
- Employment: 105,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,060)

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $49,550
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 900
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,100
- Employment: 417,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

#36. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $49,890
- #398 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,490
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,550
- Employment: 656,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
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#35. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $50,540
- #362 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,210
- Employment: 219,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ($105,220)
#34. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $50,610
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- Employment: 58,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)

#33. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $51,100
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,800
- Employment: 360,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($76,230)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)

#31 (tie). Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,060
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,200
- Employment: 86,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)

#31 (tie). Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $52,060
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,500
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,690
- Employment: 397,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($71,250)
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#30. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $53,160
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,010
- Employment: 44,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
--- Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)

#29. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,430
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,000
- Employment: 362,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($67,770)
#28. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $53,510
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 990
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,110
- Employment: 34,500
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($65,270)
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($57,100)
--- Lynchburg, VA ($57,020)
#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,780
- #361 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,010
- Employment: 1,427,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)

#26. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,950
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,180
- Employment: 333,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)
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#25. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,430
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- Employment: 110,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $54,730
- #204 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 147,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#23. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $55,090
- #182 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,990
- Employment: 168,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#22. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $55,390
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,740
- Employment: 101,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($79,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)

#21. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $57,150
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,400
- Employment: 50,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)
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#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $57,950
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,470
- Employment: 113,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,260
- #199 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,230
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,350
- Employment: 385,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $59,000
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,230
- Employment: 503,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

#17. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,050
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,100
- Employment: 409,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)

#16. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $63,910
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- Employment: 93,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($91,300)
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
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#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,940
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,070
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,490
- Employment: 977,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,040
- #374 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,350
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,990
- Employment: 614,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)

#13. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $66,160
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- Employment: 287,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area ($92,500)

#12. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,500
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 31,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($122,290)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)

#11. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $66,890
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,000
- Employment: 197,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)
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#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $67,380
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,610
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,500
- Employment: 1,278,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,830
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,030
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,100
- Employment: 475,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)

#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $72,820
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,210
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- Employment: 599,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($96,900)

#7. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,460
- Employment: 29,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lima, OH ($92,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,210)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,170)

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,730
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,120
- Employment: 240,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
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#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $83,250
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $74,410
- Employment: 114,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($109,740)
#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $96,000
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $97,180
- Employment: 122,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $104,110
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,300
- Employment: 105,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $105,290
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,100
- Employment: 132,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $134,460
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $110,830
- Employment: 37,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
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