welcomia // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,360
- Median hourly wage: $23.73
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Coeur d'Alene 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 Coeur d'Alene 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. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $49,790
- Median hourly wage: $23.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $50,250
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $50,350
- Median hourly wage: $24.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $50,630
- Median hourly wage: $24.34
- Total employment: 120 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,900
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 100 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $50,960
- Median hourly wage: $24.50
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $51,220
- Median hourly wage: $24.63
- Total employment: 260 people (3.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $51,720
- Median hourly wage: $24.87
- Total employment: 310 people (4.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $51,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.96
- Total employment: 90 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $51,970
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $52,070
- Median hourly wage: $25.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $52,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 130 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $52,820
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 690 people (9.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $53,870
- Median hourly wage: $25.90
- Total employment: 120 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 180 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $56,590
- Median hourly wage: $27.21
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $56,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.35
- Total employment: 140 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $56,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 90 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $57,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.45
- Total employment: 330 people (4.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,130
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $57,350
- Median hourly wage: $27.57
- Total employment: 330 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 170 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $58,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 70 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.73
- Total employment: 790 people (11.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,140
- Median hourly wage: $28.91
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $60,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 320 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $60,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 380 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $60,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 70 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,760
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $60,840
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 70 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 520 people (7.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vagengeim // Shutterstock
34 / 50#16. Dental laboratory technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 630 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 110 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $64,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $64,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $65,720
- Median hourly wage: $31.60
- Total employment: 80 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.94
- Total employment: 90 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $67,650
- Median hourly wage: $32.52
- Total employment: 100 people (1.43 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: $71,860
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 500 people (6.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $72,180
- Median hourly wage: $34.70
- Total employment: 230 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $74,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,000
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 300 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $80,720
- Median hourly wage: $38.81
- Total employment: 90 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,690
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.58
- Total employment: 100 people (1.39 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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