Highest-paying jobs in Kankakee 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 Kankakee 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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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

- Median annual wage: $44,480
- Median hourly wage: $21.39
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $44,500
- Median hourly wage: $21.39
- Total employment: 330 people (7.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

nullplus // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Light truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $44,580
- Median hourly wage: $21.43
- Total employment: 360 people (8.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $44,970
- Median hourly wage: $21.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $45,350
- Median hourly wage: $21.80
- Total employment: 70 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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DuxX // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Butchers and meat cutters

- Median annual wage: $45,450
- Median hourly wage: $21.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Social and human service assistants

- Median annual wage: $45,700
- Median hourly wage: $21.97
- Total employment: 220 people (5.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Loan interviewers and clerks

- Median annual wage: $46,010
- Median hourly wage: $22.12
- Total employment: 50 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DuxX // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $46,160
- Median hourly wage: $22.19
- Total employment: 630 people (14.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Production workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $46,380
- Median hourly wage: $22.30
- Total employment: 190 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $46,720
- Median hourly wage: $22.46
- Total employment: 40 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $47,160
- Median hourly wage: $22.68
- Total employment: 190 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $47,350
- Median hourly wage: $22.76
- Total employment: 250 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DC Studio // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $49,930
- Median hourly wage: $24.00
- Total employment: 50 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $49,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.01
- Total employment: 190 people (4.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $51,280
- Median hourly wage: $24.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $51,390
- Median hourly wage: $24.71
- Total employment: 190 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $51,520
- Median hourly wage: $24.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $52,820
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 50 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $52,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.42
- Total employment: 150 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $53,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.62
- Total employment: 120 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Glaziers

- Median annual wage: $54,420
- Median hourly wage: $26.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $55,030
- Median hourly wage: $26.46
- Total employment: 550 people (12.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $55,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $56,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 110 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $56,300
- Median hourly wage: $27.07
- Total employment: 50 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $58,460
- Median hourly wage: $28.10
- Total employment: 150 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 240 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $58,770
- Median hourly wage: $28.26
- Total employment: 70 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $60,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 110 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $61,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 70 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 380 people (9.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $62,170
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 210 people (4.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 110 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $64,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 60 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $65,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 280 people (6.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $68,370
- Median hourly wage: $32.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $68,380
- Median hourly wage: $32.87
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $70,280
- Median hourly wage: $33.79
- Total employment: 120 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $71,120
- Median hourly wage: $34.19
- Total employment: 200 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $71,150
- Median hourly wage: $34.21
- Total employment: 100 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.59
- Total employment: 130 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $82,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.66
- Total employment: 120 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $87,270
- Median hourly wage: $41.96
- Total employment: 120 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $90,590
- Median hourly wage: $43.55
- Total employment: 90 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $96,060
- Median hourly wage: $46.18
- Total employment: 110 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)