Highest paying jobs in Midland, Michigan for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Midland, 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 Midland, 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.
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#50. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $33,130
- #399 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#49. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Annual mean salary: $33,540
- #377 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,650
- Employment: 248,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($69,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,140)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($64,980)
#48. Pharmacy technicians
- Annual mean salary: $33,680
- #377 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,450
- Employment: 415,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,340)
--- Napa, CA ($58,620)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,390)
#47. Recreation workers
- Annual mean salary: $33,890
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,960
- Employment: 325,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($50,710)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($45,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($44,200)
#46. Library assistants, clerical
- Annual mean salary: $33,920
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $30,740
- Employment: 84,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($53,770)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($52,500)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($49,030)
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#45. Tellers
- Annual mean salary: $35,090
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#44. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $35,290
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#43. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $36,450
- #236 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
#42. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $37,320
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#41. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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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#40. New accounts clerks
- Annual mean salary: $38,520
- #149 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#39. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,870
- #206 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)
#38. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $39,950
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#37. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $40,560
- #316 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#36. Security guards
- Annual mean salary: $40,600
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
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#35. Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $40,730
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
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)

#34. Light truck drivers
- Annual mean salary: $41,610
- #185 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#33. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $42,750
- #268 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#32. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $44,510
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#31. Customer service representatives
- Annual mean salary: $44,710
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)
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#30. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,870
- #125 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)

#29. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $45,050
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#28. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $45,070
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#27. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Annual mean salary: $46,060
- #7 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)

#26. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $46,070
- #277 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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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#25. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $47,890
- #447 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)
#24. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,400
- #140 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)

#23. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,250
- #212 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#22. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,280
- #158 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)

#21. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $50,430
- #207 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)
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#20. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $50,710
- #509 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)

#19. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,640
- #86 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#18. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $56,600
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#17. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,810
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#16. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $56,880
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $60,190
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#14. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $60,360
- #199 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)
#13. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,810
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#12. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,180
- #218 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,250
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#10. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,790
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $65,030
- #360 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#8. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $65,760
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#7. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $65,870
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#6. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $66,310
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- Employment: 93,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($91,300)
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
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#5. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $70,080
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#4. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $74,000
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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 mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $78,200
- #70 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $80,510
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $141,560
- #4 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)
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