
Highest paying jobs in Fresno for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Fresno 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 Fresno, 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. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,760
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
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)
#49. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Annual mean salary: $55,060
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,110
- Employment: 162,850
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($69,940)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,310)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($67,370)

#48. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $55,130
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#47. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $55,650
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
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)

#46. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,020
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)
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#45. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,690
- #280 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)
#44. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $57,730
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#43. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $58,320
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,170
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)

#42. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,950
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#41. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,860
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 710
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)
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#40. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $60,270
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,400
- Employment: 44,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,510)
--- Nevada nonmetropolitan area ($81,690)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($78,180)
#38 (tie). First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,590
- #156 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,450
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)

#38 (tie). Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $60,590
- #127 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)

#37. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $60,610
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

#36. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,540
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 128,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)
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#35. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $62,070
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,750
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)

#34. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- #362 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)

#33. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#32. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 730
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)

#31. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $63,770
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
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)
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#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,410
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)
#29. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $64,730
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#28. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $65,260
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $66,300
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#26. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $66,340
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,420
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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#25. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $66,510
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 40,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)

#24. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $66,980
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#23. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $68,950
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,420
- Employment: 59,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)

#22. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $69,180
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,040
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)

#21. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $69,760
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)
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#20. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $69,770
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#19. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $72,820
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,530
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 405,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)

#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,330
- #156 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,160
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)

#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $73,950
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,730
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)

#16. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $74,020
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,170
- Employment: 29,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($101,630)
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#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $74,780
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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)

#14. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $75,660
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#13. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $81,980
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,000
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
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)
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#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $83,470
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#9. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $83,640
- #21 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. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,340
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,810
- Employment: 5,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($104,810)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)
#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $93,390
- #237 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $94,100
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)
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#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $102,460
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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 correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $107,270
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#3. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $114,630
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,630
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)

#2. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $129,650
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,890
- Employment: 32,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($129,650)
--- Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $135,680
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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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