Highest-paying jobs in Los Angeles for high school graduates

For decades, common wisdom held that earning a bachelor's degree would guarantee a high-paying career. Higher education does still seem to be an advantage: A college graduate's average annual salary of $60,000 in 2024 is roughly $20,000 more than that of a high school graduate, and those with bachelor's degrees can typically expect to earn between $630,000 and $900,000 more over the course of a lifetime. However, recent shifts in higher education and the job market have people wondering—with good reason—whether or not a bachelor's degree will really pay off.

According to a 2024 study from the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans believe obtaining a college degree isn't worthwhile, a trend reflected in shrinking attendance at universities across the nation. Meanwhile, annual college costs have skyrocketed to an average of $38,270 per student in 2025, often necessitating student loans with steep interest rates.

With these factors in mind, it's natural for recent high school graduates to consider vocational opportunities outside of college. Those who do may be pleasantly surprised—many companies have stopped requiring bachelor's degrees for entry-, mid-, and even senior-level positions. And while college graduates' average earnings may be higher, a 2024 report from Launchpad Jobs found that around 1 in 5 nondegree holders out-earn the $70,000 median wages of someone with a bachelor's degree.

Of course, salaries for high school grads vary widely based on job, industry, and location. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Los Angeles for high school graduates. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma or had no formal education requirement. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.

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1 / 50

#50. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

- Median annual wage: $78,180
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 1,490 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kojala // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Artists and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,290
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 180 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $78,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.77
- Total employment: 2,770 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $78,770
- Median hourly wage: $37.87
- Total employment: 49,580 people (8.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SpeedKingz // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Personal service managers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,810
- Median hourly wage: $37.89
- Total employment: 660 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $79,460
- Median hourly wage: $38.20
- Total employment: 320 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $79,710
- Median hourly wage: $38.32
- Total employment: 5,920 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Fabric and apparel patternmakers

- Median annual wage: $79,820
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 780 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $79,880
- Median hourly wage: $38.41
- Total employment: 810 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $79,950
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: Not available

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $80,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.63
- Total employment: 22,660 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $80,690
- Median hourly wage: $38.79
- Total employment: 2,070 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $81,890
- Median hourly wage: $39.37
- Total employment: 7,330 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

muratart // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $82,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.47
- Total employment: 500 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $82,640
- Median hourly wage: $39.73
- Total employment: 7,900 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $82,840
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 930 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

mrak.hr // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $84,000
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $84,010
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 730 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Brokerage clerks

- Median annual wage: $84,290
- Median hourly wage: $40.52
- Total employment: Not available

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20 / 50

#31. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $89,730
- Median hourly wage: $43.14
- Total employment: 7,470 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $89,790
- Median hourly wage: $43.17
- Total employment: 3,340 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $89,980
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: 740 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $92,100
- Median hourly wage: $44.28
- Total employment: 17,390 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $93,220
- Median hourly wage: $44.82
- Total employment: 8,430 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fortish // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters

- Median annual wage: $94,240
- Median hourly wage: $45.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $94,540
- Median hourly wage: $45.45
- Total employment: 1,800 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $97,730
- Median hourly wage: $46.98
- Total employment: 19,320 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Media and communication workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $97,980
- Median hourly wage: $47.10
- Total employment: 7,570 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NancyS // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists

- Median annual wage: $99,600
- Median hourly wage: $47.89
- Total employment: 60 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: Not available

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $101,090
- Median hourly wage: $48.60
- Total employment: 100 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Linda Zupanc // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Costume attendants

- Median annual wage: $101,860
- Median hourly wage: $48.97
- Total employment: 1,290 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $103,480
- Median hourly wage: $49.75
- Total employment: 3,730 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Parilov // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Pile driver operators

- Median annual wage: $103,790
- Median hourly wage: $49.90
- Total employment: 260 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $104,600
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 11,660 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $105,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 330 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $106,030
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 450 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $107,270
- Median hourly wage: $51.57
- Total employment: 1,770 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

prochasson frederic // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $107,600
- Median hourly wage: $51.73
- Total employment: 400 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $108,240
- Median hourly wage: $52.04
- Total employment: 130 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $109,360
- Median hourly wage: $52.58
- Total employment: 320 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $115,630
- Median hourly wage: $55.59
- Total employment: 24,310 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Motion picture projectionists

- Median annual wage: $119,090
- Median hourly wage: $57.25
- Total employment: 120 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

HannaTor // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Gambling managers

- Median annual wage: $119,310
- Median hourly wage: $57.36
- Total employment: 70 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $123,670
- Median hourly wage: $59.46
- Total employment: 240 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $124,100
- Median hourly wage: $59.66
- Total employment: 190 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $127,810
- Median hourly wage: $61.45
- Total employment: 2,840 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $127,980
- Median hourly wage: $61.53
- Total employment: 3,070 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $136,920
- Median hourly wage: $65.83
- Total employment: 1,400 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $169,590
- Median hourly wage: $81.53
- Total employment: 4,800 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.

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