
Highest paying jobs in Albany, Oregon for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Albany, Oregon 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 Albany, OR 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. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,750
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#49. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $46,790
- #7 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)

#48. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Annual mean salary: $47,120
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,930
- Employment: 29,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,260)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($65,320)
--- Joplin, MO ($65,210)
#47. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $47,250
- #180 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)

#46. Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $47,360
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,440
- Employment: 63,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area ($55,580)
--- Roanoke, VA ($52,760)
--- Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area ($52,710)
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#45. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Annual mean salary: $47,650
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,670
- Employment: 6,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($77,060)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($59,390)
--- Fort Wayne, IN ($58,460)

#44. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $47,920
- #314 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#43. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $48,550
- #213 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Annual mean salary: $48,830
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,750
- Employment: 69,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
--- Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
--- Longview, WA ($57,410)
#41. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $49,150
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#40. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $50,430
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,600
- Employment: 14,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Albany, OR ($50,430)
--- Pittsburgh, PA ($49,010)
--- Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area ($48,610)

#39. Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $50,470
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,800
- Employment: 69,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($59,780)
--- Syracuse, NY ($51,600)
--- Albany, OR ($50,470)
#38. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $50,620
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,990
- Employment: 69,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Charleston-North Charleston, SC ($54,200)
--- Spartanburg, SC ($51,910)
--- Albany, OR ($50,620)

#37. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $50,660
- #511 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)
#36. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $51,170
- #129 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $51,640
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#34. Logging equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $51,690
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#33. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $52,650
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#32. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $52,750
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,820
- #221 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)
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#30. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $53,360
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#29. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $53,510
- #179 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)

#28. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $53,760
- #391 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)
#27. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $53,880
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#26. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $54,180
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#25. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $54,730
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- Employment: 93,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($91,300)
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)

#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $54,770
- #202 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#23. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $55,160
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#22. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $55,880
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#21. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $56,410
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)
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#20. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,450
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,750
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
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)

#18. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Annual mean salary: $57,800
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- Employment: 22,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area ($85,480)
--- Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area ($77,330)
--- Longview, WA ($74,500)

#17. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,080
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#16. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $58,640
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,680
- Employment: 16,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Albany, OR ($58,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($56,830)
--- Wichita, KS ($51,240)
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#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $60,140
- #174 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#14. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- #268 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#13. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $61,790
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 44,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)

#12. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $62,290
- #100 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)

#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $64,350
- #335 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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 production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,800
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)

#9. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $65,190
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#8. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $65,760
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,760
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,980
- #369 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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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#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $75,350
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $81,210
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $84,520
- #342 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,750
- #106 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)

#1. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $89,090
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,630
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
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