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1 / 50#50. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 160 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Mobile 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 Mobile 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. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Median annual wage: $50,690
- Median hourly wage: $24.37
- Total employment: 80 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $52,480
- Median hourly wage: $25.23
- Total employment: 270 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $52,940
- Median hourly wage: $25.45
- Total employment: 210 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $54,070
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 260 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $54,190
- Median hourly wage: $26.05
- Total employment: 510 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $55,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.64
- Total employment: 210 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,460
- Median hourly wage: $26.67
- Total employment: 420 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $56,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $56,670
- Median hourly wage: $27.25
- Total employment: Not available
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $57,080
- Median hourly wage: $27.44
- Total employment: 1,000 people (5.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,100
- Median hourly wage: $27.45
- Total employment: 580 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $57,650
- Median hourly wage: $27.72
- Total employment: 1,580 people (9.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $58,770
- Median hourly wage: $28.26
- Total employment: 230 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $58,790
- Median hourly wage: $28.26
- Total employment: 180 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $59,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 380 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $59,900
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 140 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $59,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 1,090 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
First Class Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 150 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $60,120
- Median hourly wage: $28.90
- Total employment: 440 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 1,790 people (10.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 80 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 230 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,120
- Median hourly wage: $29.39
- Total employment: 1,250 people (7.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 1,570 people (9.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $61,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 1,160 people (6.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $61,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.53
- Total employment: 1,150 people (6.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 120 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 180 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.47
- Total employment: 100 people (0.58 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: $64,100
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 210 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $64,660
- Median hourly wage: $31.09
- Total employment: 750 people (4.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 250 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $65,510
- Median hourly wage: $31.50
- Total employment: 610 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $66,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 130 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $68,910
- Median hourly wage: $33.13
- Total employment: 1,500 people (8.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 1,280 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $75,140
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 280 people (1.67 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: $76,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 1,340 people (7.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $79,520
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $82,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 710 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $84,780
- Median hourly wage: $40.76
- Total employment: Not available
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $88,730
- Median hourly wage: $42.66
- Total employment: 100 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,860
- Median hourly wage: $47.53
- Total employment: 190 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.96
- Total employment: 140 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $103,600
- Median hourly wage: $49.81
- Total employment: 130 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 100 people (0.57 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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