
Highest paying jobs in Rockford for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Rockford 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 Rockford, 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. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,360
- #254 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,860
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)
#49. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $47,260
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $47,400
- #310 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#47. Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $47,810
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,100
- Employment: 23,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,600)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($55,320)

#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,520
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
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#45. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,560
- #439 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
#44. Mechanical door repairers
- Annual mean salary: $48,740
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- Employment: 22,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($61,630)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($58,550)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($57,020)

#43. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $48,830
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
#42. Cargo and freight agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,880
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,170
- Employment: 96,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($80,300)
--- Yakima, WA ($68,030)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($64,030)
#41. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $49,460
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 133,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
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#40. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $49,900
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,160
- Employment: 26,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($74,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,530)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($67,510)
#39. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $50,620
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- Employment: 58,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)

#38. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $51,310
- #439 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#37. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,680
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#36. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $52,010
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,150
- Employment: 68,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($70,940)
--- Salem, OR ($68,640)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)
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#35. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,040
- #272 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#34. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $52,140
- #71 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $52,850
- #389 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)
#32. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $53,230
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#31. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
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#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $53,850
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $54,090
- #308 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#28. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,580
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#27. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,360
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#26. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $56,510
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,360
- Employment: 10,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Austin-Round Rock, TX ($88,510)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($80,230)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,230)
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#25. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $57,950
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#24. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $58,370
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)

#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $59,230
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#22. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $59,490
- #344 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#21. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $60,320
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)
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#20. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 138,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
--- New Haven, CT ($63,790)

#19. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,830
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#18. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $61,570
- #155 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#17. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $61,630
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#16. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,420
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 940
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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#15. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,350
- #450 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,710
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,130
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)

#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,020
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
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. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $69,490
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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)

#11. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $70,120
- #19 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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#10. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $73,410
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#9. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $75,660
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)

#8. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,650
- Employment: 71,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($84,570)

#7. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $78,810
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,820
- #83 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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: $80,190
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $81,320
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $89,500
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $97,020
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $97,900
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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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