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1 / 50#50. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $52,950
- Median hourly wage: $25.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Wichita 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 Wichita 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. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $53,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.81
- Total employment: 1,300 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $54,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Umomos // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $54,070
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $54,230
- Median hourly wage: $26.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Tile and stone setters
- Median annual wage: $54,350
- Median hourly wage: $26.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $55,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.51
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,190
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 670 people (2.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,470
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 690 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
First Class Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $57,970
- Median hourly wage: $27.87
- Total employment: 10,100 people (32.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $58,080
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 910 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $58,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 1,130 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 1,250 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $59,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 220 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,780
- Median hourly wage: $28.74
- Total employment: 2,460 people (8.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $60,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $61,250
- Median hourly wage: $29.45
- Total employment: 70 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 490 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 2,570 people (8.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $61,840
- Median hourly wage: $29.73
- Total employment: 230 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 340 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 1,580 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 220 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,840
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 400 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 630 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 1,380 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $65,340
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 2,540 people (8.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Bailiffs
- Median annual wage: $66,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $66,770
- Median hourly wage: $32.10
- Total employment: 150 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $67,180
- Median hourly wage: $32.30
- Total employment: 240 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $67,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.63
- Total employment: 3,360 people (10.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $68,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.91
- Total employment: 160 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,580
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 540 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $75,140
- Median hourly wage: $36.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $75,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: 1,890 people (6.15 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: $75,900
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 1,970 people (6.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,660
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 1,320 people (4.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $76,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 300 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $76,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 570 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $78,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.75
- Total employment: 180 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $81,500
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: 2,420 people (7.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $83,370
- Median hourly wage: $40.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $87,410
- Median hourly wage: $42.02
- Total employment: 260 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $89,230
- Median hourly wage: $42.90
- Total employment: 380 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $90,970
- Median hourly wage: $43.74
- Total employment: 380 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,600
- Median hourly wage: $46.44
- Total employment: 200 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $100,380
- Median hourly wage: $48.26
- Total employment: 220 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $120,640
- Median hourly wage: $58.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 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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