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1 / 50#50. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $76,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.97
- Total employment: 8,330 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago 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 Chicago 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. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $76,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 9,430 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $77,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 1,970 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
chalermphon_tiam // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 860 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 1,320 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,110
- Median hourly wage: $37.55
- Total employment: 2,370 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $78,340
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 9,510 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,950
- Median hourly wage: $37.96
- Total employment: 7,620 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Meter readers, utilities
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 420 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $80,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.47
- Total employment: 260 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,210
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 1,470 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Motion picture projectionists
- Median annual wage: $81,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: Not available
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14 / 50#37. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $82,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.51
- Total employment: 4,120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $82,200
- Median hourly wage: $39.52
- Total employment: 3,740 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $83,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.99
- Total employment: 1,290 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $83,770
- Median hourly wage: $40.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $83,960
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 330 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $84,610
- Median hourly wage: $40.68
- Total employment: 340 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $85,400
- Median hourly wage: $41.06
- Total employment: 4,810 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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APChanel // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Railroad conductors and yardmasters
- Median annual wage: $85,560
- Median hourly wage: $41.14
- Total employment: 110 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nordroden // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $86,300
- Median hourly wage: $41.49
- Total employment: 2,240 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $86,330
- Median hourly wage: $41.51
- Total employment: 2,480 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $89,090
- Median hourly wage: $42.83
- Total employment: 320 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $89,540
- Median hourly wage: $43.05
- Total employment: 12,560 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Plasterers and stucco masons
- Median annual wage: $90,020
- Median hourly wage: $43.28
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $92,890
- Median hourly wage: $44.66
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $93,190
- Median hourly wage: $44.81
- Total employment: 80 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $95,010
- Median hourly wage: $45.68
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $97,970
- Median hourly wage: $47.10
- Total employment: 3,080 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
- Median annual wage: $98,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $98,890
- Median hourly wage: $47.54
- Total employment: 14,230 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $99,540
- Median hourly wage: $47.86
- Total employment: 16,690 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $101,200
- Median hourly wage: $48.66
- Total employment: 7,760 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $101,260
- Median hourly wage: $48.69
- Total employment: Not available
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Prath // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $102,370
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 2,170 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $102,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.50
- Total employment: 2,640 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $103,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.70
- Total employment: 600 people (0.13 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: $104,790
- Median hourly wage: $50.38
- Total employment: 14,730 people (3.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $104,810
- Median hourly wage: $50.39
- Total employment: 630 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $106,360
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 570 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $106,510
- Median hourly wage: $51.21
- Total employment: 660 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $108,180
- Median hourly wage: $52.01
- Total employment: 9,320 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $108,890
- Median hourly wage: $52.35
- Total employment: 23,340 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Tapers
- Median annual wage: $109,870
- Median hourly wage: $52.82
- Total employment: 320 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $112,230
- Median hourly wage: $53.96
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $114,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.82
- Total employment: 2,140 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
motodan // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Hoist and winch operators
- Median annual wage: $116,120
- Median hourly wage: $55.83
- Total employment: 290 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $136,440
- Median hourly wage: $65.60
- Total employment: 4,190 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $141,380
- Median hourly wage: $67.97
- Total employment: 720 people (0.16 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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