
Highest paying jobs in Little Rock for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Little Rock 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 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.
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Little Rock in the last week

#50. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $44,180
- #501 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,860
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)

#49. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $44,260
- #391 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)

#48. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $44,750
- #331 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)

#47. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $45,090
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,600
- Employment: 53,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)
#46. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,100
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 133,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
You may also like: Highest-rated pizza restaurants in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#45. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $45,130
- #463 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)

#44. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $45,640
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#43. Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,660
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,580
- Employment: 24,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($56,580)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($56,370)
--- Madison, WI ($54,930)

#42. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $45,780
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,650
- Employment: 71,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($84,570)
#41. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $46,110
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#40. Medical appliance technicians
- Annual mean salary: $46,280
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,630
- Employment: 13,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Flagstaff, AZ ($59,800)
--- San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX ($58,690)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,910)
#39. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,590
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#38. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $46,750
- #350 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
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)

#37. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $46,810
- #400 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)

#36. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $47,220
- #299 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,860
- Employment: 122,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)
You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Little Rock that require a bachelor's degree

#35. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,520
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#34. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,090
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,700
- Employment: 18,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($97,000)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($88,350)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($75,440)
#33. Cargo and freight agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,170
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,170
- Employment: 96,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($80,300)
--- Yakima, WA ($68,030)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($64,030)

#32. Logging equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $48,180
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,570
- Employment: 25,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($64,000)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($62,910)
--- Longview, WA ($62,780)

#31. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- #288 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
You may also like: Highest-rated steakhouses in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#30. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $50,340
- #381 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)

#29. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $50,700
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)

#28. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $51,100
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#27. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,280
- #320 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#26. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $51,460
- #435 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 760
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)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest growing home prices in Little Rock metro area

#25. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $52,040
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,870
- Employment: 20,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- #424 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 950
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)

#23. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $52,560
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#22. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,040
- #381 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,550
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)

#21. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $53,560
- #447 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,880
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)
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Little Rock

#20. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,780
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)

#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,480
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 790
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)
#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $54,760
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680
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. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,460
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,050
- Employment: 18,650
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($70,330)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,120)
--- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR ($57,460)

#16. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $59,610
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,610
- Employment: 40,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,090)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($101,900)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($97,860)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,760
- #430 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,390
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)

#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $60,120
- #338 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,250
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,240
- #452 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,480
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)

#12. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $61,580
- #414 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,160
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $62,300
- #476 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,430
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)
You may also like: Highest-rated Mexican restaurants in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $63,170
- #361 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)

#9. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $65,950
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $68,210
- #374 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
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)

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
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)

#6. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $71,430
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,320
- Employment: 27,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)
You may also like: Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Little Rock, according to Tripadvisor

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $73,460
- #213 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,990
- #258 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,420
- #284 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $99,420
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,260
- Employment: 9,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $125,920
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
You may also like: Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Little Rock