4 PM production // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $45,820
- Median hourly wage: $22.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Yuma 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 Yuma 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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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $45,850
- Median hourly wage: $22.04
- Total employment: 350 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
mahc // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Tile and stone setters
- Median annual wage: $45,890
- Median hourly wage: $22.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $46,210
- Median hourly wage: $22.22
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $46,270
- Median hourly wage: $22.25
- Total employment: 100 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DGLimages // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $46,490
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,200
- Median hourly wage: $22.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $47,290
- Median hourly wage: $22.74
- Total employment: 130 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $47,550
- Median hourly wage: $22.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $47,600
- Median hourly wage: $22.88
- Total employment: 130 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $48,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 140 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $48,300
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,790
- Median hourly wage: $23.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $49,070
- Median hourly wage: $23.59
- Total employment: 1,670 people (24.17 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: $49,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $49,400
- Median hourly wage: $23.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 150 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $50,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 230 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 80 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $52,210
- Median hourly wage: $25.10
- Total employment: 170 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $53,110
- Median hourly wage: $25.53
- Total employment: 500 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $53,360
- Median hourly wage: $25.65
- Total employment: 230 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.96
- Total employment: 100 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $54,960
- Median hourly wage: $26.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $56,240
- Median hourly wage: $27.04
- Total employment: Not available
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 610 people (8.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $56,790
- Median hourly wage: $27.30
- Total employment: 330 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.36
- Total employment: 130 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorgev // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,310
- Median hourly wage: $27.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 110 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 250 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 280 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 220 people (3.23 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: $65,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 360 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $65,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.58
- Total employment: 440 people (6.39 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: $67,220
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 170 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $68,410
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 320 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $70,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.96
- Total employment: 110 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Median hourly wage: $36.99
- Total employment: 250 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $82,560
- Median hourly wage: $39.69
- Total employment: Not available
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 740 people (10.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,670
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $102,300
- Median hourly wage: $49.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $102,510
- Median hourly wage: $49.28
- Total employment: 110 people (1.62 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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