
Highest paying jobs in Pittsburgh for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh, 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. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $57,750
- #217 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,150
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)

#49. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,760
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)

#48. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $57,780
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,920
- Employment: 15,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- South Georgia nonmetropolitan area ($61,690)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($58,630)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($58,100)

#47. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $57,960
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)

#46. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $58,270
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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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#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,010
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)

#44. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $59,940
- #74 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)
#43. Meter readers, utilities
- Annual mean salary: $60,000
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,160
- Employment: 26,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($74,040)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($69,530)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($67,510)

#42. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,950
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)
#41. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,830
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,970
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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#39 (tie). Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $61,990
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,810
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)

#39 (tie). Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $61,990
- #150 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,200
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)

#38. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $62,080
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- Employment: 10,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)
#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $62,290
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,220
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)

#36. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $62,350
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,340
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)
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#35. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $62,560
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)

#34. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
- Annual mean salary: $63,110
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,770
- Employment: 3,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($92,260)
--- Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area ($80,820)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($79,570)

#33. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,040
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#32. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $64,670
- #178 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,560
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)

#31. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $64,900
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)
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#30. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $65,150
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,120
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)

#29. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $65,400
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,830
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)

#28. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $65,870
- #262 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,970
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)

#27. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $66,000
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,870
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)

#26. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $66,150
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
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#25. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $66,420
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#24. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $68,110
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,970
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)

#23. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $68,280
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,180
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)

#22. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,030
- #54 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 760
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)

#21. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $69,730
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)
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#20. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $70,770
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,870
- Employment: 20,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)

#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $71,510
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,370
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)

#18. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $71,670
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#17. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,390
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,910
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)

#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $73,580
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 8,770
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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#15. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $73,720
- #51 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
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)

#14. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $74,210
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $76,150
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $76,800
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,130
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)

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $81,550
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 900
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)
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#10. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $83,120
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#9. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $83,770
- #71 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)

#8. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $86,500
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $91,120
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $92,410
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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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#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $92,560
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,120
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. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $93,300
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $99,420
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
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)

#2. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $100,760
- #103 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $108,490
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
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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