Highest-paying jobs in Bloomington 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 Bloomington 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.

LaKirr // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Rock splitters, quarry

- Median annual wage: $47,510
- Median hourly wage: $22.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $47,580
- Median hourly wage: $22.88
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $47,840
- Median hourly wage: $23.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $47,960
- Median hourly wage: $23.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kuznetsov Dmitriy // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $48,210
- Median hourly wage: $23.18
- Total employment: 110 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 80 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $48,800
- Median hourly wage: $23.46
- Total employment: 400 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Court, municipal, and license clerks

- Median annual wage: $49,260
- Median hourly wage: $23.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vasin Lee // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Residential advisors

- Median annual wage: $49,420
- Median hourly wage: $23.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Undrey // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Data entry keyers

- Median annual wage: $50,170
- Median hourly wage: $24.12
- Total employment: 220 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $50,730
- Median hourly wage: $24.39
- Total employment: 90 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. First-line supervisors of personal service workers

- Median annual wage: $50,850
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $50,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.52
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#35. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Joey Chung // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel (tie)

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 310 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $52,330
- Median hourly wage: $25.16
- Total employment: 70 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 60 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

brizmaker // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $53,410
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 80 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $56,510
- Median hourly wage: $27.17
- Total employment: 100 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $57,320
- Median hourly wage: $27.56
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 370 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 160 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 180 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $59,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.77
- Total employment: 250 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $59,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.78
- Total employment: 60 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $60,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.90
- Total employment: 220 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 610 people (8.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $60,550
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 200 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,700
- Median hourly wage: $29.18
- Total employment: 110 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 250 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 410 people (5.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#16. Cement masons and concrete finishers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $62,750
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 140 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $64,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 230 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $64,890
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 180 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.18
- Total employment: 250 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $69,710
- Median hourly wage: $33.52
- Total employment: 250 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $72,010
- Median hourly wage: $34.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $74,330
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 70 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,720
- Median hourly wage: $37.85
- Total employment: 260 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,520
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 530 people (7.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $79,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)