Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $56,520
- Median hourly wage: $27.17
- Total employment: 910 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, South Carolina 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 Charleston 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.
You may also like: Best private K-12 schools in the Charleston, South Carolina metro area
flywish // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $56,970
- Median hourly wage: $27.39
- Total employment: 190 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $57,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.51
- Total employment: 1,730 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,740
- Median hourly wage: $27.76
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 660 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best public high schools in the Charleston, South Carolina metro area
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Brokerage clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 700 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $59,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 3,200 people (8.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $59,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 390 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Personal service managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $59,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.71
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best public middle schools in the Charleston, South Carolina metro area
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 140 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $60,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 2,340 people (6.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 730 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $60,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 210 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 1,170 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Top 25 songs in Charleston, South Carolina on Shazam in the past week
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $60,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.27
- Total employment: 250 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $61,300
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 1,130 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $61,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 1,080 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $61,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 4,000 people (10.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, South Carolina that don't require a college degree
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $62,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.82
- Total employment: 960 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 530 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stoyan Yotov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $63,030
- Median hourly wage: $30.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 540 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Charleston, South Carolina?
rlat // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.52
- Total employment: 130 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.59
- Total employment: 810 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $64,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 390 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $64,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 950 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $64,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: The most expensive neighborhoods in Charleston, South Carolina
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $65,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.58
- Total employment: 4,040 people (10.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $66,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 110 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $67,430
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 530 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 430 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the Charleston, South Carolina area by visitors
4 PM production // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.23
- Total employment: 1,620 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $76,350
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 2,150 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $77,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.09
- Total employment: 200 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 180 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Charleston, South Carolina 7-day weather forecast
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $77,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $78,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 600 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $78,240
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 190 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.85
- Total employment: 1,560 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $79,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 340 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the Charleston, South Carolina area by diners
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 250 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,680
- Median hourly wage: $39.27
- Total employment: 250 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $82,620
- Median hourly wage: $39.72
- Total employment: 320 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $99,060
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 160 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,990
- Median hourly wage: $49.03
- Total employment: 480 people (1.24 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Charleston, South Carolina by diners
