Highest-paying jobs in Sioux City 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 Sioux City 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. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 130 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $49,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $49,160
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 430 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Umomos // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $49,330
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 100 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

5 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $49,750
- Median hourly wage: $23.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Roschetzky Photography // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Food cooking machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $50,020
- Median hourly wage: $24.05
- Total employment: 190 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $50,170
- Median hourly wage: $24.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DC Studio // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $50,260
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 100 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $50,850
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 80 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

10 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $50,870
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 430 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $50,900
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 430 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $51,100
- Median hourly wage: $24.57
- Total employment: 70 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $51,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.65
- Total employment: 140 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $51,950
- Median hourly wage: $24.98
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,740
- Median hourly wage: $25.36
- Total employment: 140 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.91
- Total employment: 190 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $55,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 1,000 people (13.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Steve Hamann // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners

- Median annual wage: $56,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $56,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.25
- Total employment: 140 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $56,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $57,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 140 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 160 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $58,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 190 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nikita M production // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $58,530
- Median hourly wage: $28.14
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $58,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 190 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 470 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 300 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 190 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $60,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 340 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 160 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 290 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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rlat // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $64,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,950
- Median hourly wage: $31.23
- Total employment: 850 people (11.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $66,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $67,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $67,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.28
- Total employment: 340 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $74,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 160 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 440 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $79,730
- Median hourly wage: $38.33
- Total employment: 200 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 660 people (8.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $83,380
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 330 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $92,710
- Median hourly wage: $44.57
- Total employment: 100 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $93,800
- Median hourly wage: $45.09
- Total employment: 80 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $100,150
- Median hourly wage: $48.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $106,060
- Median hourly wage: $50.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.81 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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