Highest-paying jobs in Pittsfield 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 Pittsfield 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.

fizkes // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. First-line supervisors of personal service workers

- Median annual wage: $49,390
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kuznetsov Dmitriy // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $49,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.81
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $50,160
- Median hourly wage: $24.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $51,760
- Median hourly wage: $24.89
- Total employment: 90 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 340 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,360
- Median hourly wage: $25.17
- Total employment: 60 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Loan interviewers and clerks

- Median annual wage: $52,750
- Median hourly wage: $25.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

- Median annual wage: $53,210
- Median hourly wage: $25.58
- Total employment: 100 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $53,250
- Median hourly wage: $25.60
- Total employment: 80 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $53,750
- Median hourly wage: $25.84
- Total employment: 120 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $54,170
- Median hourly wage: $26.04
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Court, municipal, and license clerks

- Median annual wage: $55,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.51
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $56,320
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 90 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 160 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $56,930
- Median hourly wage: $27.37
- Total employment: 90 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $58,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.02
- Total employment: 130 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 170 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (tie)

- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 90 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $58,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.27
- Total employment: 260 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $59,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 410 people (7.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#26. Chefs and head cooks (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Lucky Business // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 240 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nikita M production // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $61,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $62,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,270
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 650 people (11.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $67,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 180 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $70,730
- Median hourly wage: $34.00
- Total employment: 310 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $70,900
- Median hourly wage: $34.09
- Total employment: 90 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $74,100
- Median hourly wage: $35.63
- Total employment: 90 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $74,220
- Median hourly wage: $35.68
- Total employment: 110 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 270 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $75,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 250 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $75,790
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $76,760
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 290 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $77,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 260 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $77,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 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: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 260 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $80,130
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 300 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $82,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.50
- Total employment: 340 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $85,730
- Median hourly wage: $41.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $94,170
- Median hourly wage: $45.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.3 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: $95,570
- Median hourly wage: $45.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $103,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.95
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 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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