Highest-paying jobs in Springfield, Illinois 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 Springfield 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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1 / 50

#50. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $50,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 70 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $52,220
- Median hourly wage: $25.10
- Total employment: 280 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

- Median annual wage: $52,230
- Median hourly wage: $25.11
- Total employment: 170 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Median annual wage: $52,390
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,470
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#44. Construction and building inspectors (tie)

- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 140 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $54,840
- Median hourly wage: $26.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $55,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 250 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 310 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $56,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.18
- Total employment: 140 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $58,330
- Median hourly wage: $28.04
- Total employment: 90 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $58,740
- Median hourly wage: $28.24
- Total employment: 180 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 110 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $59,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 590 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 580 people (5.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 210 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 140 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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20 / 50

#31. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 50 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $61,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 90 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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22 / 50

#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,760
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 130 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $61,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 230 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 610 people (5.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $62,170
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $62,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 500 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $64,790
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 130 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $64,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 260 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $66,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $69,780
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 50 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $69,810
- Median hourly wage: $33.56
- Total employment: 840 people (8.13 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: $70,050
- Median hourly wage: $33.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $70,980
- Median hourly wage: $34.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $72,490
- Median hourly wage: $34.85
- Total employment: 330 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 270 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $78,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 300 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $78,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $80,130
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 470 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $81,380
- Median hourly wage: $39.12
- Total employment: 80 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $82,510
- Median hourly wage: $39.67
- Total employment: 350 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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goodluz // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $82,690
- Median hourly wage: $39.75
- Total employment: 100 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $83,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $88,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.34
- Total employment: 280 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $90,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.60
- Total employment: 130 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $91,080
- Median hourly wage: $43.79
- Total employment: 300 people (2.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $97,940
- Median hourly wage: $47.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

#4. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $99,950
- Median hourly wage: $48.05
- Total employment: 230 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $102,050
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 70 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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49 / 50

#2. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $108,270
- Median hourly wage: $52.05
- Total employment: 170 people (1.69 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.