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1 / 50#50. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $43,980
- Median hourly wage: $21.15
- Total employment: 90 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Monroe 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 Monroe 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. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $44,260
- Median hourly wage: $21.28
- Total employment: 170 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $44,600
- Median hourly wage: $21.44
- Total employment: 200 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $44,710
- Median hourly wage: $21.50
- Total employment: 300 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $44,860
- Median hourly wage: $21.57
- Total employment: 90 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,130
- Median hourly wage: $21.70
- Total employment: 190 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $45,190
- Median hourly wage: $21.72
- Total employment: 70 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Driver/sales workers
- Median annual wage: $45,860
- Median hourly wage: $22.05
- Total employment: 250 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $46,270
- Median hourly wage: $22.24
- Total employment: 30 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $46,360
- Median hourly wage: $22.29
- Total employment: 250 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $46,640
- Median hourly wage: $22.42
- Total employment: 70 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $46,840
- Median hourly wage: $22.52
- Total employment: 200 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $46,890
- Median hourly wage: $22.54
- Total employment: 60 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $46,910
- Median hourly wage: $22.55
- Total employment: 340 people (3.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,010
- Median hourly wage: $22.60
- Total employment: 380 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $47,100
- Median hourly wage: $22.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,150
- Median hourly wage: $22.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $47,630
- Median hourly wage: $22.90
- Total employment: 220 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $48,580
- Median hourly wage: $23.36
- Total employment: 410 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $48,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 70 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $50,280
- Median hourly wage: $24.18
- Total employment: 280 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $50,280
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 260 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $50,950
- Median hourly wage: $24.49
- Total employment: 1,080 people (12.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $52,550
- Median hourly wage: $25.27
- Total employment: 590 people (6.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
26 / 50#24. Food service managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $52,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.43
- Total employment: 100 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Office and administrative support workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $52,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.42
- Total employment: 250 people (2.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $53,050
- Median hourly wage: $25.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $53,550
- Median hourly wage: $25.74
- Total employment: 70 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 220 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $55,120
- Median hourly wage: $26.50
- Total employment: 160 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,200
- Median hourly wage: $26.54
- Total employment: 290 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 470 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $59,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.78
- Total employment: 130 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 740 people (8.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
chalermphon_tiam // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 80 people (0.91 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: $62,880
- Median hourly wage: $30.23
- Total employment: 440 people (5.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,270
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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manine99 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $64,510
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $65,660
- Median hourly wage: $31.57
- Total employment: 90 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $66,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 190 people (2.15 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: $72,880
- Median hourly wage: $35.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $73,370
- Median hourly wage: $35.27
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $73,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,150
- Median hourly wage: $36.61
- Total employment: 450 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 60 people (0.69 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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