
Highest paying jobs in Chico for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Chico 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 Chico, CA 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. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,780
- Employment: 204,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($59,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,140)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,710)
#49. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $45,450
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,230
- Employment: 30,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($67,730)
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($59,560)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($55,140)
#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,660
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,070
- Employment: 240,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)

#47. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $46,590
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,790
- Employment: 1,357,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)
#46. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,850
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#45. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $47,370
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)

#44. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Annual mean salary: $47,420
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,930
- Employment: 29,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,260)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($65,320)
--- Joplin, MO ($65,210)

#43. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $47,470
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- Employment: 62,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
#42. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $47,950
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,500
- Employment: 141,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,770)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,160)

#41. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,190
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
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#40. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,140
- Employment: 137,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, MI ($60,190)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($58,940)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)

#39. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $48,310
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#38. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $48,750
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,860
- Employment: 188,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($64,510)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
--- Decatur, IL ($60,740)
#37. Opticians, dispensing
- Annual mean salary: $48,810
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,380
- Employment: 68,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,300)
--- New Haven, CT ($69,460)
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($66,670)

#36. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $49,510
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#35. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,320
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#34. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $52,690
- #397 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#33. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $53,100
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#32. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,260
- #182 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,550
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- Employment: 22,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area ($85,480)
--- Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area ($77,330)
--- Longview, WA ($74,500)
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#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $54,020
- #311 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#29. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,110
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#28. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $54,190
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 138,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
--- New Haven, CT ($63,790)

#27. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,790
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,200
- Employment: 149,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($67,370)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
#26. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $57,710
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#25. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,760
- #278 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#24. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,200
- Employment: 699,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)
#23. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $58,210
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,800
- Employment: 93,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)

#22. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $61,210
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,400
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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)

#19. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $62,590
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#18. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $62,620
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $62,690
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#16. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,410
- #214 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)
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#15. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $63,750
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $65,230
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#13. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,080
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,160
- #443 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#11. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $66,900
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $70,050
- #166 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470
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. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $71,710
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)

#8. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $72,660
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,280
- Employment: 402,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)

#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,220
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,180
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,390
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)

#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $77,320
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#3. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $81,510
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $92,250
- #256 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $125,710
- #30 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)
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