A high school diploma gives graduates a leg up in the workforce, even if they don't pursue any further education.
The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that workers over age of 25 with a high school diploma or equivalent earned about 25% more than those without one—$853 a week compared to $682. Diploma holders also faced lower unemployment rates, at 4% in 2022, compared to 5.5% for those who never completed high school.
There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college—for instance, the cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise, increasing by 1% to 4% last year, depending on the institution type. While higher degrees of education typically pave the way for higher earnings, a college degree isn't necessary for many high-paying jobs. And for many careers, it doesn't make sense to pay to study for years when there are paid apprenticeship or learn-on-the-job programs.
Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Greeley for those with a high school diploma or equivalent. Jobs are ranked by their annual median salaries as of May 2022. Jobs without available data for annual pay were excluded from this analysis.
Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay high school graduates the most.
This story features data reporting and writing by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 366 metros.
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Mirnes // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Median annual wage: $50,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Canva
2 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,360
- Median hourly wage: $24.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
Canva
3 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
Canva
4 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 560 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Apprenticeship
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,600
- Median hourly wage: $24.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
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Canva
6 / 50- Median annual wage: $51,620
- Median hourly wage: $24.82
- Total employment: 1,190 people (11.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
flywish // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,190
- Median hourly wage: $25.09
- Total employment: 120 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
8 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 290 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,730
- Median hourly wage: $25.35
- Total employment: 130 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,730
- Median hourly wage: $25.35
- Total employment: 200 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
11 / 50- Median annual wage: $52,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.38
- Total employment: 440 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Apprenticeship
Canva
12 / 50- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 150 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
alexkich // Shutterstock
13 / 50- Median annual wage: $54,250
- Median hourly wage: $26.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Median annual wage: $54,580
- Median hourly wage: $26.24
- Total employment: 240 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Short-term on-the-job training
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Median annual wage: $54,800
- Median hourly wage: $26.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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rlat // Shutterstock
16 / 50- Median annual wage: $56,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Short-term on-the-job training
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
17 / 50- Median annual wage: $56,810
- Median hourly wage: $27.31
- Total employment: 110 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,330
- Median hourly wage: $28.04
- Total employment: 190 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
Kot500 // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,490
- Median hourly wage: $28.12
- Total employment: 350 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
20 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,750
- Median hourly wage: $28.24
- Total employment: 80 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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Canva
21 / 50- Median annual wage: $58,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 1,030 people (9.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Apprenticeship
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 130 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Median annual wage: $59,490
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 80 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
welcomia // Shutterstock
24 / 50- Median annual wage: $61,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.53
- Total employment: 320 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50- Median annual wage: $61,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 820 people (7.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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Canva
26 / 50- Median annual wage: $62,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 130 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Canva
27 / 50- Median annual wage: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Median annual wage: $62,930
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 480 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
John Leung // Shutterstock
29 / 50- Median annual wage: $63,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Apprenticeship
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 590 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
31 / 50- Median annual wage: $65,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,900
- Median hourly wage: $32.16
- Total employment: 1,080 people (10.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Median annual wage: $67,580
- Median hourly wage: $32.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50- Median annual wage: $73,000
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Median annual wage: $73,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.32
- Total employment: 350 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
36 / 50- Median annual wage: $73,670
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 80 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Median annual wage: $74,840
- Median hourly wage: $35.98
- Total employment: 1,800 people (16.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,620
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Short-term on-the-job training
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Median annual wage: $76,440
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 460 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50- Median annual wage: $78,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 680 people (6.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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Prath // Shutterstock
41 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 540 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Median annual wage: $82,040
- Median hourly wage: $39.44
- Total employment: 160 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
Canva
44 / 50- Median annual wage: $82,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.65
- Total employment: 850 people (7.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Median annual wage: $82,940
- Median hourly wage: $39.88
- Total employment: Not available
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50- Median annual wage: $87,190
- Median hourly wage: $41.92
- Total employment: 250 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
michaeljung // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Median annual wage: $104,690
- Median hourly wage: $50.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Long-term on-the-job training
Canva
48 / 50- Median annual wage: $104,860
- Median hourly wage: $50.42
- Total employment: 110 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Median annual wage: $116,770
- Median hourly wage: $56.14
- Total employment: Not available
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: Moderate-term on-the-job training
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50- Median annual wage: $127,030
- Median hourly wage: $61.07
- Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
- Required on-the-job training to attain competency: None
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