
Highest paying jobs in Indianapolis for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, 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. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $53,290
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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)

#49. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,160
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,630
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)

#48. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,210
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)
#47. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,770
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,400
- Employment: 44,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,510)
--- Nevada nonmetropolitan area ($81,690)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($78,180)

#46. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,930
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,030
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)
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#45. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $55,370
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,470
- Employment: 27,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($109,380)
--- Syracuse, NY ($97,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,740)

#44. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $56,260
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,630
- Employment: 7,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($75,130)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($73,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,300)
#43. Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators
- Annual mean salary: $56,500
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,910
- Employment: 8,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Columbus, OH ($75,880)
--- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN ($56,500)
--- Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area ($50,370)

#42. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $56,630
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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)

#41. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $56,710
- #273 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
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)
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#40. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $56,960
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,730
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)

#39. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $57,120
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,310
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)

#38. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $58,100
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,940
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)

#37. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,830
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,700
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)

#36. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,540
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,110
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)
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#35. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,560
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860
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)

#34. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $59,770
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)

#33. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,390
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,980
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)

#31. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $62,160
- #315 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,210
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)
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#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $62,920
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,180
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)

#29. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,100
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,280
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)

#28. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $63,820
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,350
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)

#27. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $63,930
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)
#26. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,160
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,520
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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#25. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,410
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)
#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $64,580
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,510
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)

#23. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $64,640
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#22. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#21. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $65,860
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,290
- Employment: 14,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)
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#20. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,710
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,660
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)

#19. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $68,560
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- Employment: 10,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#18. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $70,390
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,170
- Employment: 29,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($101,630)

#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,660
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,590
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)

#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,880
- #199 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,010
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)
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#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $72,180
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,220
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)

#14. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,430
- Employment: 14,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)

#13. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $74,700
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#12. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $75,760
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,130
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. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $80,920
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,370
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)
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#10. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $81,030
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $82,520
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 760
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)

#8. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $82,780
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,200
- Employment: 24,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,500
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 970
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)

#6. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $87,040
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,320
- Employment: 27,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)
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#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $87,820
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,660
- Employment: 13,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#4. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $88,270
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $94,580
- #143 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $101,000
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100
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. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $108,540
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $110,830
- Employment: 37,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
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