
Highest paying jobs in New York City for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in New York City 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 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. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $78,190
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 20,470
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)

#49. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $79,470
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,880
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)

#48. Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers
- Annual mean salary: $79,610
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,200
- Employment: 4,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,610)
--- Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area ($71,540)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($48,870)

#47. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $79,880
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,010
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)
#46. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $80,060
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80,410
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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#45. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $80,120
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,780
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)

#44. Subway and streetcar operators
- Annual mean salary: $82,190
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,940
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,480
- Employment: 11,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($82,190)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,320)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,690)

#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $82,900
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 25,420
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)

#42. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $83,150
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 72,370
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)

#41. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $83,200
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,020
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)
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#40. Signal and track switch repairers
- Annual mean salary: $83,760
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,970
- Employment: 7,250
- Metros with highest average pay: data not available

#39. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $84,730
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 79,180
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)
#38. Fabric and apparel patternmakers
- Annual mean salary: $84,960
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,880
- Employment: 4,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($84,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,260)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($74,480)

#37. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $85,070
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 41,270
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)

#36. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $85,860
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 28,920
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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#35. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,170
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,420
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)

#33 (tie). Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $86,650
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,660
- Employment: 13,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#33 (tie). Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $86,650
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,120
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)

#32. Rail car repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,690
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 920
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,250
- Employment: 22,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($86,690)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($76,530)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($74,740)

#31. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $86,730
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,920
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,170
- Employment: 29,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($101,630)
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#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $87,850
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 14,340
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)

#29. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $88,030
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,430
- Employment: 14,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)

#28. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $90,120
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,560
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)

#27. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,460
- Employment: 29,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lima, OH ($92,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,210)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,170)

#26. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $91,430
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,610
- Employment: 40,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,090)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($101,900)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($97,860)
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#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $91,860
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,990
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. Choreographers
- Annual mean salary: $94,910
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,000
- Employment: 3,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($94,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($79,760)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($63,250)

#23. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $95,020
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,200
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,650
- Employment: 71,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($84,570)

#22. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $95,600
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 18,400
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)

#21. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $97,640
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 21,400
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)
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#20. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $97,840
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 13,620
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)

#19. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Annual mean salary: $98,010
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $76,810
- Employment: 5,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($104,810)
--- Visalia-Porterville, CA ($101,650)
--- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL ($101,610)

#18. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $98,730
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,420
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)

#17. Terrazzo workers and finishers
- Annual mean salary: $99,300
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)

#16. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $99,520
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,200
- Employment: 24,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)
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#14 (tie). Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $99,600
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,440
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)

#14 (tie). Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $99,600
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,290
- Employment: 14,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)

#13. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $102,650
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,670
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)

#12. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $103,610
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,220
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)

#11. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
- Annual mean salary: $104,560
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,890
- Employment: 14,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($104,560)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($68,920)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($60,810)
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#10. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $106,620
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,880
- Employment: 3,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($106,620)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($106,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,880)

#9. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $109,380
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 880
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)

#8. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $112,040
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $114,400
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,650
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. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $114,760
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,340
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $121,250
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 23,220
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)

#4. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $131,160
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,290
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. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $133,260
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,020
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)

#2. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $134,700
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
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: $137,060
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,510
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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