Highest paying jobs in Portsmouth for high school graduates

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July 20, 2022
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Highest paying jobs in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth, NH-ME 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.

#50. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,350
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#49. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,790
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

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)

#48. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,070
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960

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)

#47. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,380
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520

National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 283,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($57,040)
--- Lima, OH ($56,660)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($50,510)

#46. Advertising sales agents

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,390
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- Employment: 110,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)

#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,480
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#44. Procurement clerks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)

#43. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,870
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

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)

#42. Surveying and mapping technicians

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#41. Automotive body and related repairers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $52,070
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

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)

#40. Carpenters

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,710
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

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)

#39. Postal service mail carriers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,850
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#38. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,180
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#37. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560

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)

#36. Postal service clerks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,640
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#35. Machinists

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

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)

#34. Sheet metal workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $56,580
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#32. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,430
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

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)

#31. Electricians

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530

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)

#30. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,380
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200

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)

#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,850
- #82 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)

#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500

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. Self-enrichment teachers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,360
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200

National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#25. Real estate sales agents

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#24. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

#23. Industrial machinery mechanics

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

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)

#22. Chefs and head cooks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,570
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

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)

#21. Construction and building inspectors

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $64,590
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#20. Tax preparers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $65,380
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#19. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $66,140
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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)

#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,400
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 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)

#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,680
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980

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)

#16. Food service managers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,700
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

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)

#15. Property, real estate, and community association managers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,090
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#14. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,170
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,860
- Employment: 122,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)

#13. Lodging managers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $70,830
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $74,150
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390

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)

#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720

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)

#10. Insurance sales agents

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,060
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

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. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,710
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

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)

#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,830
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

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)

#7. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,980
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820

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)

#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $81,570
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500

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)

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $86,790
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $91,750
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $94,530
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $113,410
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $116,230
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290

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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