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1 / 50#50. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Rapid City 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 Rapid City 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.
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2 / 50#49. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,100
- Median hourly wage: $23.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Pipelayers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $50,000
- Median hourly wage: $24.04
- Total employment: 100 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $50,150
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,650
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $50,680
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: Not available
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9 / 50#42. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $50,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $50,750
- Median hourly wage: $24.40
- Total employment: 110 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $51,540
- Median hourly wage: $24.78
- Total employment: 740 people (10.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $51,570
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 150 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $51,590
- Median hourly wage: $24.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $51,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $52,600
- Median hourly wage: $25.29
- Total employment: 380 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $53,300
- Median hourly wage: $25.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $55,060
- Median hourly wage: $26.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $55,180
- Median hourly wage: $26.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $55,290
- Median hourly wage: $26.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $55,580
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $55,930
- Median hourly wage: $26.89
- Total employment: 420 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.12
- Total employment: 310 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $57,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 480 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,820
- Median hourly wage: $27.80
- Total employment: 300 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $58,380
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 100 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50#22. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $59,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 300 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 100 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 170 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 240 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $61,560
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 190 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $64,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,660
- Median hourly wage: $31.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $66,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 150 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $72,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.03
- Total employment: 170 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $74,520
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 730 people (10.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $74,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 150 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.18
- Total employment: 420 people (5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 260 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $84,080
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 170 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $108,880
- Median hourly wage: $52.35
- Total employment: 100 people (1.36 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.
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