Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $38,650
- Median hourly wage: $18.58
- Total employment: 40 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista 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. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $38,660
- Median hourly wage: $18.59
- Total employment: 60 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. File clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,740
- Median hourly wage: $18.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $39,300
- Median hourly wage: $18.90
- Total employment: 110 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $39,450
- Median hourly wage: $18.97
- Total employment: 580 people (16.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $41,230
- Median hourly wage: $19.82
- Total employment: 40 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $41,690
- Median hourly wage: $20.05
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $42,640
- Median hourly wage: $20.50
- Total employment: 180 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $42,710
- Median hourly wage: $20.54
- Total employment: 300 people (8.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $43,910
- Median hourly wage: $21.11
- Total employment: 30 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $44,360
- Median hourly wage: $21.33
- Total employment: 60 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $44,380
- Median hourly wage: $21.34
- Total employment: 100 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $44,610
- Median hourly wage: $21.45
- Total employment: 280 people (8.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $44,720
- Median hourly wage: $21.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $44,760
- Median hourly wage: $21.52
- Total employment: 230 people (6.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Data entry keyers
- Median annual wage: $44,930
- Median hourly wage: $21.60
- Total employment: 70 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $45,020
- Median hourly wage: $21.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $45,870
- Median hourly wage: $22.05
- Total employment: 50 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $46,340
- Median hourly wage: $22.28
- Total employment: 60 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,410
- Median hourly wage: $22.31
- Total employment: 130 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $47,340
- Median hourly wage: $22.76
- Total employment: 80 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $47,460
- Median hourly wage: $22.82
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $48,080
- Median hourly wage: $23.12
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,290
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 40 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,700
- Median hourly wage: $23.41
- Total employment: 40 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $49,770
- Median hourly wage: $23.93
- Total employment: 120 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $49,960
- Median hourly wage: $24.02
- Total employment: 90 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $50,360
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 160 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $50,850
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $52,900
- Median hourly wage: $25.43
- Total employment: 570 people (16.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $53,700
- Median hourly wage: $25.82
- Total employment: 280 people (8.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 60 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $54,880
- Median hourly wage: $26.38
- Total employment: 80 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $55,200
- Median hourly wage: $26.54
- Total employment: 130 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $55,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 50 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $55,910
- Median hourly wage: $26.88
- Total employment: 60 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 50 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $58,320
- Median hourly wage: $28.04
- Total employment: 150 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $59,450
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 280 people (8.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,650
- Median hourly wage: $28.68
- Total employment: 80 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.01
- Total employment: 70 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $60,770
- Median hourly wage: $29.22
- Total employment: 100 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.53
- Total employment: 120 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $68,550
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $74,760
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 180 people (5.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $79,350
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 70 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,280
- Median hourly wage: $47.25
- Total employment: 70 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $106,230
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 710 people (20.83 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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