
Highest paying jobs in Columbus, Indiana for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Columbus, Indiana 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 Columbus, IN 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. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $37,490
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,650
- Employment: 179,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($49,970)
--- Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH ($49,680)
--- La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN ($49,470)
#49. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $37,720
- #370 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#48. Bill and account collectors
- Annual mean salary: $37,970
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,630
- Employment: 222,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($58,700)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,610)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,940)
#47. Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $38,080
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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. Printing press operators
- Annual mean salary: $38,260
- #211 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#45. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $38,420
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 990
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. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,320
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,210
- Employment: 727,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($51,470)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,440)
--- Anchorage, AK ($47,150)
#43. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,330
- #256 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,070
- Employment: 240,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)

#42. Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $39,620
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,480
- Employment: 13,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,480)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($53,630)
--- South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area ($50,110)
#41. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Annual mean salary: $40,160
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 283,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($57,040)
--- Lima, OH ($56,660)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($50,510)
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#40. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $40,440
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)
#39. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $40,580
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#38. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $41,050
- #248 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#37. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $41,460
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,320
- Employment: 33,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($70,440)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,640)
--- Wichita, KS ($56,010)

#36. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $42,130
- #296 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)
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#35. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $42,610
- #411 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
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)

#34. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $43,150
- #313 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)
#33. Customer service representatives
- Annual mean salary: $44,160
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,510
- Employment: 2,833,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($52,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($50,510)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($47,490)
#32. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,240
- #272 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#31. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $44,480
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- Employment: 149,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
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#30. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $44,520
- #318 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)

#29. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $47,270
- #379 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#28. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $48,680
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540
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)

#27. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $50,640
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#26. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,750
- #206 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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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#25. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $51,340
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,970
- Employment: 52,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
--- Salem, OR ($78,000)
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($76,680)
#24. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $52,010
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#23. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,620
- #267 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,950
- #229 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#21. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $55,800
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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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#20. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $56,640
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#18. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,060
- #113 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#17. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,130
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#16. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $58,390
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
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#15. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,630
- #221 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $60,620
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#13. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $61,460
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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 (tie). Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,710
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#11 (tie). Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $61,710
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,080
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#8. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $66,710
- #132 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,920
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,280
- #172 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570
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)
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#5. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $71,990
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $77,020
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $77,500
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $94,130
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $105,510
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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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