
Highest paying jobs in New Bern for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in New Bern 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 Bern, NC 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. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $37,710
- #322 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,750
- Employment: 160,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($84,640)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,320)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($77,210)
#49. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Annual mean salary: $37,840
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,290
- Employment: 48,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($48,810)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($47,380)
--- Lewiston, ID-WA ($46,520)

#48. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $38,020
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#47. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $38,060
- #311 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)
#46. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $38,840
- #378 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,500
- Employment: 141,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,770)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,160)
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#45. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,580
- #431 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#44. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $39,640
- #364 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,790
- Employment: 1,357,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

#43. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $39,760
- #448 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)
#42. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Annual mean salary: $39,780
- #254 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,490
- Employment: 156,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,520)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($62,040)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($60,730)

#41. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $40,200
- #266 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,200
- Employment: 149,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($67,370)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
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#40. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $40,710
- #446 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#39. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $41,010
- #343 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,860
- Employment: 188,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($64,510)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
--- Decatur, IL ($60,740)

#38. Logging equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $41,740
- #83 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,570
- Employment: 25,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($64,000)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($62,910)
--- Longview, WA ($62,780)

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $42,940
- #501 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#36. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,050
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,780
- Employment: 204,100
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Salinas, CA ($59,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($58,140)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($56,710)
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#35. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $44,060
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#34. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $44,450
- #366 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $45,760
- #490 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#32. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $45,840
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,490
- Employment: 20,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($66,390)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($59,690)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($57,930)

#31. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- #176 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
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)
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#30. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $46,260
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#29. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $48,030
- #442 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#28. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $48,190
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#27. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $48,430
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#26. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $48,710
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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#25. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $49,000
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#24. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $49,990
- #222 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $51,050
- #443 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $51,070
- #336 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,650
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)
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#20. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,860
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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)

#19. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $53,040
- #176 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#18. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,080
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $53,860
- #325 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)

#16. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,490
- #128 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#15. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $56,960
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#14. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $57,310
- #394 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,550
- #497 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#12. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $58,570
- #287 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $58,880
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)
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#10. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,950
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
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)

#9. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $61,940
- #152 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#8. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $63,550
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,950
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $67,070
- #246 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)
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#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $68,130
- #310 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $68,340
- #371 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#3. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $74,480
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,970
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $102,030
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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