
Highest paying jobs in Bismarck for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Bismarck 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 Bismarck, ND 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. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,400
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#49. Driver/sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $48,560
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
National
- Annual mean salary: $31,870
- Employment: 420,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bismarck, ND ($48,560)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($46,390)
--- Fargo, ND-MN ($46,360)

#48. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $49,120
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)
#47. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $49,330
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 138,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
--- New Haven, CT ($63,790)
#46. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Annual mean salary: $49,340
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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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#45. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- #143 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,440
- Employment: 105,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,060)
#44. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $50,000
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 570
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- Employment: 399,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($55,360)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)
#43. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $50,190
- #42 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)

#42. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $51,530
- #349 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
#41. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $51,910
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,970
- Employment: 52,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
--- Salem, OR ($78,000)
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($76,680)
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#40. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,160
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540
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)

#39. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $52,790
- #166 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
#38. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $55,300
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,140
- Employment: 137,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, MI ($60,190)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($58,940)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)

#37. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,390
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#36. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $55,640
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
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#35. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $55,710
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)
#34. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,380
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#33. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $56,420
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,490
- #178 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#31. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $57,090
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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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#30. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,300
- #289 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#29. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,780
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- Employment: 58,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)
#28. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $58,220
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)
#27. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $58,310
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#26. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $58,710
- #349 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
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#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $60,300
- #165 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)
#24. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $60,440
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#23. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $60,790
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#22. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $61,190
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#21. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $62,160
- #249 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
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#20. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,230
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#19. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $62,300
- #63 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)

#18. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,980
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#17. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $64,940
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#16. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $65,040
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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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#15. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $65,090
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#14. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $65,620
- #270 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $65,790
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)

#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $67,160
- #96 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $67,600
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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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#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,920
- #417 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#9. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $69,800
- #85 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,540
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $78,560
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $81,180
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
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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#5. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $86,750
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $90,170
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $91,440
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)
#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $92,220
- #163 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)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $118,190
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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