
Highest paying jobs in Monroe, Michigan for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Monroe, 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 Monroe, 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: $38,570
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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. Helpers--production workers
- Annual mean salary: $38,710
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $32,000
- Employment: 239,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN ($48,190)
--- Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($44,860)
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($43,950)

#48. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- #399 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)
#47. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $38,900
- #207 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)
#46. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $39,170
- #328 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
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#45. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,240
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#44. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,330
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,380
- #273 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)

#41 (tie). Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Annual mean salary: $39,490
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,930
- Employment: 29,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,260)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($65,320)
--- Joplin, MO ($65,210)
#41 (tie). Office clerks, general
- Annual mean salary: $39,490
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)
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#40. Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $40,190
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $36,950
- Employment: 38,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH ($57,520)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($56,150)
--- Reading, PA ($53,660)

#39. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $41,850
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $43,290
- #243 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)
#37. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $44,990
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#36. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $45,710
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
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#35. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $45,740
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#34. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $46,080
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,800
- Employment: 69,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($59,780)
--- Syracuse, NY ($51,600)
--- Albany, OR ($50,470)

#33. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $46,470
- #267 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)
#32. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,470
- #136 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. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $48,820
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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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#30. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,530
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#29. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- #172 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#28. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $51,150
- #397 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)

#27. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $51,170
- #201 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)

#26. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $51,250
- #184 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)
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#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $51,700
- #248 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#24. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $53,720
- #328 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)
#23. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $54,000
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#22. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,550
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $54,900
- #197 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)
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#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,720
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#19. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $59,320
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#18. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $59,580
- #26 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. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $60,510
- #197 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)
#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $62,990
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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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#15. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,460
- #209 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $63,660
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#13. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $64,110
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#12. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $65,020
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#11. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $66,560
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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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#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,540
- #203 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 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)

#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,120
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,540
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#7. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $72,140
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,860
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#5. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $87,400
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $87,830
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $91,750
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#2. Nuclear power reactor operators
- Annual mean salary: $103,070
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $104,470
- Employment: 5,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($121,770)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($111,440)
--- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC ($110,750)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $104,390
- #97 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)
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