
Highest paying jobs in Carbondale for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Carbondale 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 Carbondale-Marion, IL 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. Data entry keyers
- Annual mean salary: $34,510
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,850
- Employment: 151,520
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($48,170)
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($46,500)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($45,800)

#49. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $35,250
- #492 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- Employment: 549,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($88,150)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($80,420)
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
#48. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $35,550
- #432 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,610
- Employment: 445,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)

#47. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Annual mean salary: $35,750
- #311 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,650
- Employment: 248,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($69,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,140)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($64,980)
#46. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $35,760
- #385 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,490
- Employment: 156,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,520)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($62,040)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($60,730)
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#45. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $36,660
- #259 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,620
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,770
- Employment: 2,788,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($49,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($49,740)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($48,850)
#44. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $36,900
- #391 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $36,950
- #510 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#42. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $37,220
- #485 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#41. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $37,310
- #272 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,420
- Employment: 1,850,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($54,450)
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#40. Printing press operators
- Annual mean salary: $37,420
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,200
- Employment: 160,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($56,850)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($51,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($50,370)
#39. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $37,820
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- Employment: 399,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($55,360)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
#38. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $39,190
- #326 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#37. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $40,520
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,750
- Employment: 160,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($84,640)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,320)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($77,210)

#36. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $40,870
- #423 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,300
- Employment: 1,063,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)
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#35. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $41,110
- #297 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860
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)

#34. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $42,850
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,050
- Employment: 929,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
--- Waterbury, CT ($50,100)
#33. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $44,810
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#32. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $45,850
- #302 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#31. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $46,110
- #412 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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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#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $46,400
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#29. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $46,520
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#28. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $47,220
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $48,050
- #378 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#26. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $49,430
- #375 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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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#25. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $49,740
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#24. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $49,860
- #461 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#23. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,710
- #354 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)

#22. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $51,080
- #476 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)
#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,480
- #400 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)
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#20. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,720
- #170 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)

#19. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,790
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#18. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,460
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#17. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- #363 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $55,160
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
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#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $55,260
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#14. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $55,660
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $57,390
- #486 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,260
- #459 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)

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,860
- #176 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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#10. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $60,650
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#9. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,400
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $70,550
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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 (tie). Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $73,440
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#6 (tie). Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,440
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,640
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#4. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $74,230
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#3. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $80,480
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $82,140
- #371 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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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