fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $45,370
- Median hourly wage: $21.81
- Total employment: 90 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salisbury 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 Salisbury 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.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Salisbury
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $45,390
- Median hourly wage: $21.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $45,430
- Median hourly wage: $21.84
- Total employment: 100 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $45,680
- Median hourly wage: $21.96
- Total employment: 80 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,010
- Median hourly wage: $22.12
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the most expensive homes in the Salisbury metro area
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,500
- Median hourly wage: $22.36
- Total employment: 110 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
7 / 50#43. Maintenance and repair workers, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: $46,740
- Median hourly wage: $22.47
- Total employment: 630 people (11.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Carpenters (tie)
- Median annual wage: $46,740
- Median hourly wage: $22.47
- Total employment: 130 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
nullplus // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Light truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $47,280
- Median hourly wage: $22.73
- Total employment: 490 people (9.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $47,830
- Median hourly wage: $22.99
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Closest national parks to Salisbury
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $47,970
- Median hourly wage: $23.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $48,840
- Median hourly wage: $23.48
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Pharmacy aides
- Median annual wage: $49,480
- Median hourly wage: $23.79
- Total employment: Not available
Efired // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Bill and account collectors
- Median annual wage: $49,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.03
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,310
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Salisbury
Alexander Oganezov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: Not available
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $50,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $51,230
- Median hourly wage: $24.63
- Total employment: 330 people (6.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $51,280
- Median hourly wage: $24.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 90 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Coat drives near Salisbury
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $54,070
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 140 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $55,460
- Median hourly wage: $26.66
- Total employment: 80 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $55,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 80 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $56,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 130 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Salisbury metro area
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $57,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 180 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,000
- Median hourly wage: $27.89
- Total employment: 210 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,070
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 60 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Salisbury in the last week
manine99 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $59,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 290 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $60,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.22
- Total employment: 330 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 750 people (13.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,720
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 70 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Salisbury
Bigflick // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $62,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 560 people (10.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $65,220
- Median hourly wage: $31.36
- Total employment: 160 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $65,750
- Median hourly wage: $31.61
- Total employment: 90 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,980
- Median hourly wage: $32.20
- Total employment: 270 people (5.06 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: $68,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.90
- Total employment: 280 people (5.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Car insurance rates in Salisbury October 2025
sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $69,390
- Median hourly wage: $33.36
- Total employment: 220 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $70,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.00
- Total employment: 290 people (5.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $72,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.72
- Total employment: 80 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $73,290
- Median hourly wage: $35.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $74,260
- Median hourly wage: $35.70
- Total employment: 170 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Salisbury that require a graduate degree
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,530
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,320
- Median hourly wage: $39.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,620
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 120 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,840
- Median hourly wage: $47.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $122,510
- Median hourly wage: $58.90
- Total employment: 110 people (2.01 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.
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Salisbury that require a graduate degree
