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1 / 50#50. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 230 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Stockton 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 Stockton 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. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 260 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $63,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 390 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $63,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.41
- Total employment: 1,360 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $63,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.51
- Total employment: 500 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $64,490
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 630 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: Not available
manine99 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $65,040
- Median hourly wage: $31.27
- Total employment: 140 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $65,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,760
- Median hourly wage: $31.61
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,090
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 650 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $66,370
- Median hourly wage: $31.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Stonemasons
- Median annual wage: $68,360
- Median hourly wage: $32.86
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $68,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.88
- Total employment: 2,380 people (8.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $69,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.50
- Total employment: 600 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $70,010
- Median hourly wage: $33.66
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $71,340
- Median hourly wage: $34.30
- Total employment: 510 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $71,800
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 190 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $72,340
- Median hourly wage: $34.78
- Total employment: 2,440 people (8.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $73,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 1,080 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $74,340
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 2,110 people (7.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,630
- Median hourly wage: $35.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 1,160 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $75,310
- Median hourly wage: $36.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $75,650
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 90 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tapers
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 840 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $77,510
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 130 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $78,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 160 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $78,120
- Median hourly wage: $37.56
- Total employment: 270 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $78,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 770 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $79,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.14
- Total employment: 630 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Median annual wage: $79,540
- Median hourly wage: $38.24
- Total employment: 160 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $79,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 240 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $79,970
- Median hourly wage: $38.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $82,960
- Median hourly wage: $39.88
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 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: $84,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 1,160 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $89,190
- Median hourly wage: $42.88
- Total employment: 150 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $89,810
- Median hourly wage: $43.18
- Total employment: 130 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $89,890
- Median hourly wage: $43.22
- Total employment: 990 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,500
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: 1,000 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $97,200
- Median hourly wage: $46.73
- Total employment: 280 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $102,720
- Median hourly wage: $49.39
- Total employment: 1,000 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $103,100
- Median hourly wage: $49.57
- Total employment: 100 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $112,690
- Median hourly wage: $54.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $114,420
- Median hourly wage: $55.01
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $123,940
- Median hourly wage: $59.59
- Total employment: 230 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $132,240
- Median hourly wage: $63.58
- Total employment: 140 people (0.5 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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