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1 / 50#50. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $46,550
- Median hourly wage: $22.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles 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. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $46,850
- Median hourly wage: $22.52
- Total employment: 2,230 people (22.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $47,400
- Median hourly wage: $22.79
- Total employment: 70 people (0.68 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: $47,790
- Median hourly wage: $22.98
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $48,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.29
- Total employment: 90 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,290
- Median hourly wage: $23.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $49,410
- Median hourly wage: $23.76
- Total employment: 130 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,740
- Median hourly wage: $23.91
- Total employment: 80 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50#42. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $49,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.98
- Total employment: 340 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall
- Median annual wage: $50,040
- Median hourly wage: $24.06
- Total employment: Not available
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11 / 50#40. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $50,160
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 1,100 people (10.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $50,910
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 110 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $51,120
- Median hourly wage: $24.58
- Total employment: 80 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $51,480
- Median hourly wage: $24.75
- Total employment: 1,460 people (14.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $51,570
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 880 people (8.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 270 people (2.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,720
- Median hourly wage: $26.31
- Total employment: 310 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $55,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $55,670
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 2,290 people (22.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 330 people (3.31 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: $58,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 990 people (9.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.52
- Total employment: 100 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $59,730
- Median hourly wage: $28.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 90 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,090
- Median hourly wage: $29.85
- Total employment: 460 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 630 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,760
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 300 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,920
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Median annual wage: $63,580
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $63,760
- Median hourly wage: $30.66
- Total employment: 900 people (9.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $64,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 180 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $65,320
- Median hourly wage: $31.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $66,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.87
- Total employment: 940 people (9.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $69,510
- Median hourly wage: $33.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 760 people (7.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 220 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $71,740
- Median hourly wage: $34.49
- Total employment: 2,050 people (20.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 120 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $76,600
- Median hourly wage: $36.83
- Total employment: 320 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $77,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 760 people (7.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,740
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 620 people (6.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $85,280
- Median hourly wage: $41.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $85,920
- Median hourly wage: $41.31
- Total employment: 450 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $89,460
- Median hourly wage: $43.01
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 80 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $105,030
- Median hourly wage: $50.49
- Total employment: 530 people (5.33 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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