
Highest paying jobs in Las Vegas for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 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. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $56,700
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#49. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $56,710
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,960
- Employment: 65,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($77,890)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($77,690)
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)

#48. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $56,910
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 830
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)
#47. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- #40 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,770
- Employment: 53,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)

#46. Terrazzo workers and finishers
- Annual mean salary: $57,030
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,440
- Employment: 2,970
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($64,410)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($57,030)
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#45. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $57,540
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#44. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $57,570
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,460
- Employment: 44,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,310)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,330)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,970)

#43. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $57,670
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- Employment: 10,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#42. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $57,890
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- Employment: 62,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
#41. Locksmiths and safe repairers
- Annual mean salary: $58,370
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,240
- Employment: 16,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Reno, NV ($66,780)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($60,200)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($59,970)
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#39 (tie). First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,630
- #454 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,860
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)

#39 (tie). Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $58,630
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,360
- Employment: 10,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Austin-Round Rock, TX ($88,510)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($80,230)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,230)

#38. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $59,230
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 890
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)
#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $59,290
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
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)

#36. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,310
- #101 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
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)
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#35. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $59,390
- #320 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,640
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)
#34. Flight attendants
- Annual mean salary: $59,960
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,470
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,150
- Employment: 116,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($94,320)
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($72,130)
--- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL ($67,620)

#33. Animal control workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,900
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,680
- Employment: 11,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($63,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($62,470)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,980)

#32. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $61,770
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,750
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)

#31. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $63,440
- #108 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 31,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($122,290)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
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#30. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,920
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,060
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,990
- Employment: 168,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#29. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,420
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,500
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)

#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $64,540
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,600
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)

#27. Bailiffs
- Annual mean salary: $64,670
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,730
- Employment: 18,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($69,600)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,050)
--- Glens Falls, NY ($66,980)

#26. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $67,550
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,950
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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#25. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $67,740
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,420
- Employment: 59,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)

#24. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $67,920
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,470
- Employment: 27,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($109,380)
--- Syracuse, NY ($97,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,740)

#23. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $69,010
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,630
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)

#22. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $69,350
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#21. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,670
- #262 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,900
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)
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#20. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $70,060
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,090
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)

#19. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,090
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
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)

#18. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $71,830
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $74,860
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,870
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)

#16. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $75,160
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
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)
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#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,400
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,180
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- Employment: 287,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area ($92,500)

#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $75,640
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,070
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,200
- #294 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980
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)

#12. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $76,580
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,320
- Employment: 27,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)

#11. Traffic technicians
- Annual mean salary: $77,500
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,140
- Employment: 7,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,160)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($77,500)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($76,460)
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#10. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $84,440
- #343 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 900
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)

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $87,810
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,300
- Employment: 105,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)

#8. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $87,990
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $88,540
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,600
- Employment: 53,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

#6. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $92,590
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,890
- Employment: 32,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($129,650)
--- Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)
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#5. Gambling managers
- Annual mean salary: $96,730
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $85,440
- Employment: 3,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($106,830)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($104,140)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,210)

#4. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $99,990
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#3. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $105,750
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,260
- Employment: 9,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)

#2. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $109,540
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $115,440
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 740
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)
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