Susan Law Cain // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Tree trimmers and pruners
- Median annual wage: $59,750
- Median hourly wage: $28.73
- Total employment: Not available
Highest-paying jobs in Barnstable Town 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 Barnstable Town 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. Switchboard operators, including answering service
- Median annual wage: $59,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $60,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 130 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $60,710
- Median hourly wage: $29.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $61,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 270 people (2.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 160 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $61,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $61,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.43
- Total employment: 80 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 130 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 260 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,220
- Median hourly wage: $30.40
- Total employment: 100 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $63,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 1,140 people (12.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 110 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Interviewers, except eligibility and loan
- Median annual wage: $64,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $65,920
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 470 people (5.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $66,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 90 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $66,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $67,020
- Median hourly wage: $32.22
- Total employment: 120 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 150 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.90
- Total employment: 150 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $69,050
- Median hourly wage: $33.20
- Total employment: 1,070 people (11.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $71,730
- Median hourly wage: $34.49
- Total employment: 660 people (7.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $72,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.89
- Total employment: 260 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,910
- Median hourly wage: $35.05
- Total employment: 410 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $73,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 530 people (5.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $73,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.43
- Total employment: 140 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $73,750
- Median hourly wage: $35.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $75,180
- Median hourly wage: $36.14
- Total employment: 350 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $75,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.34
- Total employment: Not available
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $76,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 30 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $76,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 560 people (6.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $77,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 220 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 140 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $79,130
- Median hourly wage: $38.04
- Total employment: 200 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $81,340
- Median hourly wage: $39.11
- Total employment: 520 people (5.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 410 people (4.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 740 people (7.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $89,890
- Median hourly wage: $43.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $92,670
- Median hourly wage: $44.55
- Total employment: 150 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $93,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.00
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,600
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $95,820
- Median hourly wage: $46.07
- Total employment: 110 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,240
- Median hourly wage: $47.23
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $99,580
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 30 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $101,960
- Median hourly wage: $49.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $126,210
- Median hourly wage: $60.68
- Total employment: 140 people (1.48 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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