Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $46,110
- Median hourly wage: $22.17
- Total employment: 150 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Great Falls for high school graduates
For decades, common wisdom held that earning a bachelor's degree would guarantee a high-paying career. Higher education does still seem to be an advantage: A college graduate's average annual salary of $60,000 in 2024 is roughly $20,000 more than that of a high school graduate, and those with bachelor's degrees can typically expect to earn between $630,000 and $900,000 more over the course of a lifetime. However, recent shifts in higher education and the job market have people wondering—with good reason—whether or not a bachelor's degree will really pay off.
According to a 2024 study from the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans believe obtaining a college degree isn't worthwhile, a trend reflected in shrinking attendance at universities across the nation. Meanwhile, annual college costs have skyrocketed to an average of $38,270 per student in 2025, often necessitating student loans with steep interest rates.
With these factors in mind, it's natural for recent high school graduates to consider vocational opportunities outside of college. Those who do may be pleasantly surprised—many companies have stopped requiring bachelor's degrees for entry-, mid-, and even senior-level positions. And while college graduates' average earnings may be higher, a 2024 report from Launchpad Jobs found that around 1 in 5 nondegree holders out-earn the $70,000 median wages of someone with a bachelor's degree.
Of course, salaries for high school grads vary widely based on job, industry, and location. Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Great Falls for high school graduates. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma or had no formal education requirement. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $46,230
- Median hourly wage: $22.23
- Total employment: 70 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $46,470
- Median hourly wage: $22.34
- Total employment: 50 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,510
- Median hourly wage: $22.36
- Total employment: 160 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $46,790
- Median hourly wage: $22.49
- Total employment: 270 people (7.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $47,030
- Median hourly wage: $22.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $47,120
- Median hourly wage: $22.66
- Total employment: 80 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $47,180
- Median hourly wage: $22.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $47,200
- Median hourly wage: $22.69
- Total employment: 50 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $47,520
- Median hourly wage: $22.85
- Total employment: 40 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $47,580
- Median hourly wage: $22.88
- Total employment: 70 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $47,690
- Median hourly wage: $22.93
- Total employment: 360 people (9.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Procurement clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,960
- Median hourly wage: $23.06
- Total employment: 40 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $48,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.17
- Total employment: 70 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $48,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.34
- Total employment: 120 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $49,370
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 40 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $49,750
- Median hourly wage: $23.92
- Total employment: 360 people (9.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $51,970
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,870
- Median hourly wage: $25.42
- Total employment: 60 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $52,900
- Median hourly wage: $25.44
- Total employment: 90 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $53,790
- Median hourly wage: $25.86
- Total employment: 270 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $55,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 140 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $55,860
- Median hourly wage: $26.86
- Total employment: 50 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $55,900
- Median hourly wage: $26.88
- Total employment: 320 people (8.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Joey Chung // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $56,980
- Median hourly wage: $27.39
- Total employment: 140 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $59,020
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 130 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $59,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 280 people (7.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 80 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $59,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 60 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $60,070
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 130 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,720
- Median hourly wage: $29.19
- Total employment: 40 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 40 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 170 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 100 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 50 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $65,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 140 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $69,870
- Median hourly wage: $33.59
- Total employment: 80 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $71,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.48
- Total employment: 30 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $71,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.61
- Total employment: 310 people (8.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $74,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.86
- Total employment: 120 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.25
- Total employment: 200 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $76,170
- Median hourly wage: $36.62
- Total employment: 220 people (6.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 140 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $79,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 130 people (3.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $126,800
- Median hourly wage: $60.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Cu Fleshman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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