
Highest paying jobs in Dubuque for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Dubuque 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 Dubuque, IA 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. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Annual mean salary: $41,660
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,540
- Employment: 75,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Nevada nonmetropolitan area ($51,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($48,050)
--- Rochester, MN ($47,190)

#49. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $41,730
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
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)

#48. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Annual mean salary: $41,840
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,750
- Employment: 69,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
--- Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
--- Longview, WA ($57,410)
#47. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $41,900
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)
#46. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,000
- #188 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)
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#45. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $42,110
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $43,510
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#43. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $43,680
- #286 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)
#42. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $44,470
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#41. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $45,040
- #193 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
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#40. Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $45,070
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,900
- Employment: 93,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($59,920)
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($58,870)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($56,220)
#39. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- #127 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)

#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- #278 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)

#37. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,460
- #317 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#36. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,320
- #257 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
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#35. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,470
- #253 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#34. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $46,530
- #324 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#33. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,730
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#32. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $46,820
- #262 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
#31. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $47,940
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)
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#30. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,300
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#29. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $49,320
- #220 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#28. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,800
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#27. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $49,880
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#26. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,560
- #149 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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#25. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $51,000
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#24. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $52,100
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,960
- Employment: 65,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($77,890)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($77,690)
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)

#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,410
- #417 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,650
- #239 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)
#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $54,160
- #359 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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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#20. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,370
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $55,210
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#18. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- #286 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#17. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,180
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $56,880
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
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#15. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $57,990
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $58,710
- #349 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#13. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,100
- #234 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#12. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $60,690
- #282 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)

#11. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $60,740
- #198 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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#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $61,840
- #483 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#9. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $62,940
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,970
- #394 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,300
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $67,030
- #317 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,190
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)

#4. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $72,370
- #114 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)

#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $78,770
- #244 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $99,130
- #162 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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: $100,470
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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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