
Highest paying jobs in Augusta for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Augusta 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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 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. Logging equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $44,090
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#49. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $44,410
- #321 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 790
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)

#48. Procurement clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,770
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)

#47. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $45,480
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)

#46. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,610
- #421 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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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#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,880
- #340 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,260
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)

#44. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $46,780
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#43. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,980
- #324 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#42. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $48,610
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)

#40 (tie). Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $48,750
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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#40 (tie). Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $48,750
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,790
- Employment: 15,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($59,830)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($59,220)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($57,770)
#39. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $48,800
- #37 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)

#38. Hazardous materials removal workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,150
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,170
- Employment: 44,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($76,120)
--- Amarillo, TX ($73,270)
--- Knoxville, TN ($70,000)

#37. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,180
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#36. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $51,660
- #221 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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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#35. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $51,760
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)

#34. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $52,050
- #304 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#33. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,260
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#32. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $52,310
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,100
- Employment: 32,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)

#31. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $52,330
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)
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#30. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- #393 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
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)

#29. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $52,770
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,220
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)

#28. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $53,280
- #401 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)

#27. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $54,040
- #180 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)

#26. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $54,140
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#25. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,400
- #356 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#24. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,490
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#23. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $54,570
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#22. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- #324 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,840
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. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $55,950
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#20. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $55,970
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#19. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $56,560
- #449 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
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)

#18. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $56,670
- #275 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,070
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 940
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)

#16. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $58,310
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
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#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $59,380
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#14. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $59,910
- #302 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,020
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)

#13. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $59,950
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,960
- Employment: 65,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($77,890)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($77,690)
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)

#12. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $61,170
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,800
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)

#11. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $62,140
- #73 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)
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#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $62,600
- #387 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,470
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. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $63,750
- #281 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $64,160
- #295 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#7. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $66,580
- #323 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,980
- #296 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,890
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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#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,460
- #267 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,780
- #317 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $75,390
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,350
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)

#2. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $81,250
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $94,990
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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