fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $37,420
- Median hourly wage: $17.99
- Total employment: 60 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Hammond 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 Hammond 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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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $37,440
- Median hourly wage: $18.00
- Total employment: 160 people (3.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $37,500
- Median hourly wage: $18.03
- Total employment: 90 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $37,770
- Median hourly wage: $18.16
- Total employment: 330 people (7.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,140
- Median hourly wage: $18.34
- Total employment: 150 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $38,360
- Median hourly wage: $18.44
- Total employment: 210 people (4.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $38,630
- Median hourly wage: $18.57
- Total employment: 80 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $38,940
- Median hourly wage: $18.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $39,910
- Median hourly wage: $19.19
- Total employment: 180 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $40,060
- Median hourly wage: $19.26
- Total employment: 480 people (10.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $41,100
- Median hourly wage: $19.76
- Total employment: 570 people (11.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $41,190
- Median hourly wage: $19.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $41,480
- Median hourly wage: $19.94
- Total employment: 80 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $41,520
- Median hourly wage: $19.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $41,740
- Median hourly wage: $20.07
- Total employment: 140 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $42,640
- Median hourly wage: $20.50
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $43,480
- Median hourly wage: $20.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $44,300
- Median hourly wage: $21.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $44,850
- Median hourly wage: $21.56
- Total employment: 170 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $45,120
- Median hourly wage: $21.69
- Total employment: 160 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $45,460
- Median hourly wage: $21.86
- Total employment: 250 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $45,590
- Median hourly wage: $21.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $46,460
- Median hourly wage: $22.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $47,920
- Median hourly wage: $23.04
- Total employment: 140 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,080
- Median hourly wage: $23.11
- Total employment: 150 people (3.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $48,950
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 80 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $50,630
- Median hourly wage: $24.34
- Total employment: 70 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $51,030
- Median hourly wage: $24.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $51,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 460 people (9.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Payroll and timekeeping clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $51,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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adriaticfoto // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Miscellaneous construction and related workers
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $52,660
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 470 people (9.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $53,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.86
- Total employment: 130 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 160 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $54,400
- Median hourly wage: $26.15
- Total employment: 180 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $55,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 120 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $56,040
- Median hourly wage: $26.94
- Total employment: 90 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,890
- Median hourly wage: $27.35
- Total employment: 70 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $58,110
- Median hourly wage: $27.94
- Total employment: 460 people (9.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $58,920
- Median hourly wage: $28.33
- Total employment: 170 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $59,490
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 70 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.08
- Total employment: 210 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 50 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 50 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 160 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $66,740
- Median hourly wage: $32.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $66,980
- Median hourly wage: $32.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $85,230
- Median hourly wage: $40.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.71 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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