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1 / 50#50. Receptionists and information clerks
- Median annual wage: $30,770
- Median hourly wage: $14.79
- Total employment: 130 people (6.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Hinesville 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 Hinesville 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. Cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Median annual wage: $31,270
- Median hourly wage: $15.03
- Total employment: 30 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $31,640
- Median hourly wage: $15.21
- Total employment: 50 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Standret // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Counter and rental clerks
- Median annual wage: $32,090
- Median hourly wage: $15.43
- Total employment: 60 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Stockers and order fillers
- Median annual wage: $34,070
- Median hourly wage: $16.38
- Total employment: 510 people (25.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
- Median annual wage: $34,930
- Median hourly wage: $16.79
- Total employment: 70 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Customer service representatives
- Median annual wage: $35,140
- Median hourly wage: $16.90
- Total employment: 280 people (13.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $35,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.00
- Total employment: 50 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $35,450
- Median hourly wage: $17.04
- Total employment: 60 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers
- Median annual wage: $35,500
- Median hourly wage: $17.07
- Total employment: 290 people (14.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Median annual wage: $35,520
- Median hourly wage: $17.08
- Total employment: 220 people (11.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $36,350
- Median hourly wage: $17.47
- Total employment: 80 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $36,820
- Median hourly wage: $17.70
- Total employment: 50 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 30 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $37,540
- Median hourly wage: $18.05
- Total employment: 220 people (10.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,910
- Median hourly wage: $18.71
- Total employment: 40 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $39,100
- Median hourly wage: $18.80
- Total employment: 60 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $39,460
- Median hourly wage: $18.97
- Total employment: 60 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ruslan Galiullin // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Office clerks, general
- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 460 people (22.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.50
- Total employment: 40 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $44,380
- Median hourly wage: $21.34
- Total employment: 300 people (14.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SviatlanaLaza // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Packers and packagers, hand
- Median annual wage: $44,730
- Median hourly wage: $21.51
- Total employment: 50 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,360
- Median hourly wage: $21.81
- Total employment: 110 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $46,500
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 190 people (9.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $46,910
- Median hourly wage: $22.55
- Total employment: 60 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Security guards
- Median annual wage: $47,050
- Median hourly wage: $22.62
- Total employment: 90 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $47,320
- Median hourly wage: $22.75
- Total employment: 70 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $48,390
- Median hourly wage: $23.26
- Total employment: 50 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $50,150
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 70 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 80 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $50,870
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 60 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $52,120
- Median hourly wage: $25.06
- Total employment: 170 people (8.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $52,460
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 90 people (4.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $53,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 50 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $54,840
- Median hourly wage: $26.36
- Total employment: 70 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $54,980
- Median hourly wage: $26.43
- Total employment: 180 people (8.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $56,020
- Median hourly wage: $26.93
- Total employment: 30 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $56,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.15
- Total employment: 40 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $56,760
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 40 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $57,250
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 60 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 240 people (11.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 90 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 40 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $62,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 50 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $66,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 60 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $71,520
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 110 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $72,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 80 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $76,610
- Median hourly wage: $36.83
- Total employment: 90 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $79,960
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 40 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $80,630
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 30 people (1.59 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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