Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
Highest-paying jobs in Louisville 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 Louisville 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. Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles
- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 1,470 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $59,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $59,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 1,360 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $60,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 1,810 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Guiderom // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Rail car repairers
- Median annual wage: $60,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 130 people (0.18 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: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 3,700 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 340 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $61,790
- Median hourly wage: $29.71
- Total employment: 3,150 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 3,870 people (5.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LuckView // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $61,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 2,950 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.84
- Total employment: 760 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.98
- Total employment: 2,940 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 600 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 560 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $62,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 70 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $63,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.37
- Total employment: 2,290 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 120 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 250 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $64,780
- Median hourly wage: $31.14
- Total employment: 330 people (0.48 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: $65,220
- Median hourly wage: $31.36
- Total employment: 6,590 people (9.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $65,770
- Median hourly wage: $31.62
- Total employment: 5,680 people (8.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $66,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 2,490 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $66,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 170 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $68,360
- Median hourly wage: $32.87
- Total employment: 980 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $68,580
- Median hourly wage: $32.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $71,390
- Median hourly wage: $34.32
- Total employment: 2,240 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $71,510
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 520 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $73,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 180 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $73,780
- Median hourly wage: $35.47
- Total employment: 4,320 people (6.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 570 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $75,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.10
- Total employment: 260 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $75,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 370 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Median annual wage: $75,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 150 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,170
- Median hourly wage: $36.62
- Total employment: 3,220 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,650
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 910 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 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: $77,570
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 3,030 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Akimov Igor // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $79,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 90 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $91,950
- Median hourly wage: $44.21
- Total employment: 200 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $96,010
- Median hourly wage: $46.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,310
- Median hourly wage: $47.26
- Total employment: 370 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $102,040
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 1,000 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $105,320
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.14 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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