Prath // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $59,780
- Median hourly wage: $28.74
- Total employment: 450 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Baton Rouge 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 Baton Rouge 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. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $59,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 270 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 330 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $60,400
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $61,140
- Median hourly wage: $29.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 540 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.52
- Total employment: 1,200 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $61,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 820 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 200 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 1,440 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 1,390 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $63,900
- Median hourly wage: $30.72
- Total employment: 810 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $64,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 3,180 people (7.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Denys Yelmanov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bridge and lock tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $65,910
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 410 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $66,350
- Median hourly wage: $31.90
- Total employment: 1,540 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $67,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $67,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 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: $69,240
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 3,530 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $70,930
- Median hourly wage: $34.10
- Total employment: 1,340 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $71,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.24
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.35
- Total employment: 340 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $72,010
- Median hourly wage: $34.62
- Total employment: 3,400 people (8.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $73,910
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 660 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,010
- Median hourly wage: $35.58
- Total employment: 2,080 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $74,120
- Median hourly wage: $35.63
- Total employment: 560 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photostriker // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.24
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $75,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 3,910 people (9.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 370 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 590 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jat306 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 250 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $77,920
- Median hourly wage: $37.46
- Total employment: 240 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $79,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.35
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 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: $79,930
- Median hourly wage: $38.43
- Total employment: 4,190 people (10.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 210 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $84,220
- Median hourly wage: $40.49
- Total employment: 1,100 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $88,650
- Median hourly wage: $42.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,450
- Median hourly wage: $46.85
- Total employment: 440 people (1.09 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: $97,960
- Median hourly wage: $47.09
- Total employment: 2,500 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $98,790
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 2,840 people (7.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $101,130
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 1,640 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $101,870
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 670 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $103,300
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $113,030
- Median hourly wage: $54.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 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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