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1 / 50#50. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $62,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 8,390 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Phoenix 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 Phoenix 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. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $62,630
- Median hourly wage: $30.11
- Total employment: 1,180 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.13
- Total employment: 9,990 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,880
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 8,070 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 12,360 people (5.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $63,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 510 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $63,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 6,800 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Meter readers, utilities
- Median annual wage: $63,310
- Median hourly wage: $30.44
- Total employment: 280 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,320
- Median hourly wage: $30.44
- Total employment: 290 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Brokerage clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,470
- Median hourly wage: $30.52
- Total employment: 990 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 200 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $63,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 140 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
mariakray // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Traffic technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,030
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 160 people (0.07 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: $64,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 23,640 people (10.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $64,580
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 3,680 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $64,920
- Median hourly wage: $31.21
- Total employment: 2,230 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $65,400
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 70 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $65,640
- Median hourly wage: $31.56
- Total employment: 20,380 people (8.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $66,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 3,210 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photostriker // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: Not available
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Helpers--extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $66,130
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 300 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $66,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 220 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $66,730
- Median hourly wage: $32.08
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
First Class Photography // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $66,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.18
- Total employment: 460 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $67,010
- Median hourly wage: $32.22
- Total employment: Not available
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26 / 50#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $67,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.67
- Total employment: 13,890 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Crane and tower operators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $67,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.67
- Total employment: 760 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.36
- Total employment: 120 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,040
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 5,000 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,160
- Median hourly wage: $35.66
- Total employment: 6,560 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $74,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 220 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $74,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: 420 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,040
- Median hourly wage: $36.08
- Total employment: 8,130 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $75,230
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 760 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,770
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 240 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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emirhankaramuk // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Medical appliance technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,040
- Median hourly wage: $36.56
- Total employment: 270 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $76,340
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 560 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Semiconductor processing technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 3,710 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 2,540 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $78,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 310 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 16,610 people (7.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $79,200
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.57
- Total employment: 2,250 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,600
- Median hourly wage: $44.04
- Total employment: 7,750 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $94,970
- Median hourly wage: $45.66
- Total employment: 1,240 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,550
- Median hourly wage: $45.94
- Total employment: 2,320 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $110,500
- Median hourly wage: $53.12
- Total employment: Not available
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $114,520
- Median hourly wage: $55.06
- Total employment: 1,400 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $117,990
- Median hourly wage: $56.73
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.47 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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