
Highest paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan 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 Jackson, MI 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.
You may also like: How Jackson, Michigan feels about climate change
#50. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $38,210
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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. Opticians, dispensing
- Annual mean salary: $38,470
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,380
- Employment: 68,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,300)
--- New Haven, CT ($69,460)
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($66,670)
#48. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $38,930
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,260
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. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,110
- #254 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#46. Customer service representatives
- Annual mean salary: $39,170
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,020
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)
You may also like: People from these metros are finding new jobs in Jackson, Michigan
#45. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $40,380
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#44. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $40,640
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)
#43. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $41,330
- #214 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#42. New accounts clerks
- Annual mean salary: $41,510
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,870
- Employment: 45,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,930)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,190)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($53,440)
#41. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $41,720
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan that don't require a college degree
#40. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $41,730
- #256 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)
#39. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $41,800
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,960
- Employment: 155,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($51,870)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($51,490)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($51,430)

#38. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $42,210
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,050
- Employment: 929,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($51,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($51,560)
--- Waterbury, CT ($50,100)
#37. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,690
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#36. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $42,720
- #287 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in Jackson, Michigan metro area

#35. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $43,560
- #196 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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)

#34. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $44,110
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,680
- Employment: 16,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Albany, OR ($58,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($56,830)
--- Wichita, KS ($51,240)

#33. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
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)
#32. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $46,610
- #206 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $47,510
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
You may also like: Metros where people in Jackson, Michigan are getting new jobs

#30. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,200
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#29. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $48,220
- #167 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#28. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,360
- #98 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)
#27. Dental laboratory technicians
- Annual mean salary: $49,210
- #34 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)

#26. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- #239 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
You may also like: Where people in Jackson, Michigan are moving to most

#25. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $49,550
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $50,410
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#23. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $50,910
- #248 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#22. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $51,120
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,950
- Employment: 54,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)
#21. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $52,330
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest growing home prices in Jackson, Michigan metro area

#20. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,400
- #250 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)

#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,230
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $55,810
- #72 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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,420
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,490
- #187 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)
You may also like: Highest-earning zip codes in Jackson, Michigan metro area

#15. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $60,200
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
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)
#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $60,470
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $62,740
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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: $64,010
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $64,190
- #146 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)
You may also like: Metros sending the most people to Jackson, Michigan

#10. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $64,800
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $65,560
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $65,700
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 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)

#7. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $66,850
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)

#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $70,930
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Jackson, Michigan

#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,390
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,510
- #284 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#3. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $88,120
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $90,570
- #283 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $93,360
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,100
- Employment: 32,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)
You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Jackson, Michigan that require a graduate degree