
Highest paying jobs in California, Maryland for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in California, Maryland 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 California-Lexington Park, MD 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. Tellers
- Annual mean salary: $35,840
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,960
- Employment: 423,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($43,490)
--- Napa, CA ($42,000)
#49. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $38,280
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- Employment: 399,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($55,360)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
#48. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $38,970
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)
#47. Merchandise displayers and window trimmers
- Annual mean salary: $39,150
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,550
- Employment: 134,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($45,950)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($45,550)
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($44,840)

#46. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Annual mean salary: $39,410
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,880
- Employment: 891,540
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($52,950)
--- Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($52,620)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,140)
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#45. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $41,110
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,000
- Employment: 597,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,010)
--- Napa, CA ($52,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,300)

#44. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Annual mean salary: $41,400
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $42,460
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#42. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Annual mean salary: $43,260
- #45 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $37,640
- Employment: 173,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,820)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($53,920)
--- Salinas, CA ($52,980)

#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $43,980
- #172 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
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#40. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $44,040
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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. Security guards
- Annual mean salary: $44,910
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,360
- Employment: 1,054,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($70,350)
--- San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA ($58,440)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($57,480)
#38. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $44,920
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#37. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $45,010
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#36. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $46,190
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,610
- Employment: 445,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)
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#35. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $46,810
- #131 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#34. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,140
- #105 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)

#33. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $48,650
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#32. Bill and account collectors
- Annual mean salary: $49,690
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)
#31. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $50,230
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#30. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $51,200
- #498 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)

#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $51,440
- #178 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#28. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $51,740
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#27. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,140
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#26. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,430
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#25. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $53,760
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#24. Procurement clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,090
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)
#23. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Annual mean salary: $57,040
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#22. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $57,640
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#21. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $58,320
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
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#20. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $58,730
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,930
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#18. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $59,070
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#17. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $61,300
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#16. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $61,370
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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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#15. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $62,930
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#14. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,980
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,570
- #307 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $68,030
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#11. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $68,730
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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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#10. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,870
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#9. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $71,320
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,010
- #350 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)

#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,560
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $74,910
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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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#5. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $76,040
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,950
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $100,550
- #103 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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $111,830
- #40 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)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $175,650
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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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