Highest-paying jobs in New York City 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 New York City 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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1 / 50

#50. Gambling change persons and booth cashiers

- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.18
- Total employment: 240 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $84,310
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 1,980 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

mrak.hr // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $84,840
- Median hourly wage: $40.79
- Total employment: 2,540 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

4 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $85,650
- Median hourly wage: $41.18
- Total employment: 86,460 people (9.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $85,960
- Median hourly wage: $41.33
- Total employment: 11,060 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $86,020
- Median hourly wage: $41.36
- Total employment: 360 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $87,440
- Median hourly wage: $42.04
- Total employment: 2,500 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Chemical plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $87,820
- Median hourly wage: $42.22
- Total employment: Not available

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9 / 50

#42. Subway and streetcar operators

- Median annual wage: $87,940
- Median hourly wage: $42.28
- Total employment: 3,960 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rido // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Models

- Median annual wage: $89,990
- Median hourly wage: $43.26
- Total employment: Not available

Guiderom // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Rail car repairers

- Median annual wage: $90,050
- Median hourly wage: $43.29
- Total employment: 660 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $91,150
- Median hourly wage: $43.82
- Total employment: 3,990 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

13 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $91,970
- Median hourly wage: $44.21
- Total employment: 24,680 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $92,190
- Median hourly wage: $44.32
- Total employment: 15,680 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

APChanel // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Signal and track switch repairers

- Median annual wage: $92,280
- Median hourly wage: $44.37
- Total employment: 1,070 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Onk-Q // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

- Median annual wage: $92,980
- Median hourly wage: $44.70
- Total employment: 880 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Studio Romantic // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Choreographers

- Median annual wage: $94,090
- Median hourly wage: $45.24
- Total employment: 270 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $94,370
- Median hourly wage: $45.37
- Total employment: 1,460 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $94,470
- Median hourly wage: $45.42
- Total employment: 1,140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $95,190
- Median hourly wage: $45.77
- Total employment: 13,930 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $97,500
- Median hourly wage: $46.87
- Total employment: Not available

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22 / 50

#29. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $97,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.02
- Total employment: 15,730 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,030
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 550 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $98,610
- Median hourly wage: $47.41
- Total employment: 11,790 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 9,110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $101,340
- Median hourly wage: $48.72
- Total employment: 390 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Fabric and apparel patternmakers

- Median annual wage: $101,620
- Median hourly wage: $48.86
- Total employment: 760 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $103,050
- Median hourly wage: $49.54
- Total employment: 760 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $103,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.94
- Total employment: 3,490 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $104,520
- Median hourly wage: $50.25
- Total employment: 3,530 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $104,850
- Median hourly wage: $50.41
- Total employment: 3,100 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $104,870
- Median hourly wage: $50.42
- Total employment: 31,520 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $105,790
- Median hourly wage: $50.86
- Total employment: 54,830 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $106,540
- Median hourly wage: $51.22
- Total employment: 7,460 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $107,690
- Median hourly wage: $51.77
- Total employment: 8,590 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 240 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Guiderom // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers

- Median annual wage: $108,350
- Median hourly wage: $52.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

JL IMAGES // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Transit and railroad police

- Median annual wage: $108,490
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 1,110 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $109,770
- Median hourly wage: $52.77
- Total employment: 19,460 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $119,760
- Median hourly wage: $57.58
- Total employment: 3,490 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $120,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.82
- Total employment: 2,020 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Parilov // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Pile driver operators

- Median annual wage: $125,070
- Median hourly wage: $60.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $127,040
- Median hourly wage: $61.08
- Total employment: 3,250 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $127,600
- Median hourly wage: $61.34
- Total employment: 9,420 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Flight attendants

- Median annual wage: $128,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 16,500 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $128,340
- Median hourly wage: $61.70
- Total employment: 1,250 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $128,680
- Median hourly wage: $61.87
- Total employment: 330 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $137,520
- Median hourly wage: $66.12
- Total employment: 13,930 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

motodan // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Hoist and winch operators

- Median annual wage: $141,930
- Median hourly wage: $68.24
- Total employment: Not available

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50 / 50

#1. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $214,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 570 people (0.06 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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