Highest-paying jobs in Detroit 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 Detroit 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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1 / 50

#50. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $63,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.56
- Total employment: 2,130 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $63,970
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 1,830 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,220
- Median hourly wage: $30.88
- Total employment: 160 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $65,060
- Median hourly wage: $31.28
- Total employment: 9,000 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $65,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 7,450 people (3.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Irene Miller // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $65,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 3,760 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 2,160 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $65,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.59
- Total employment: 830 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $66,080
- Median hourly wage: $31.77
- Total employment: 1,770 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $66,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 610 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $66,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,690
- Median hourly wage: $32.06
- Total employment: 13,600 people (7.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 1,030 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $67,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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15 / 50

#36. Roustabouts, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $67,430
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $72,060
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $72,460
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 4,010 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $72,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.96
- Total employment: 880 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,210
- Median hourly wage: $35.20
- Total employment: 10,800 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Model makers, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 780 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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22 / 50

#29. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 3,390 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 13,300 people (6.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 18,610 people (9.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 6,490 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 7,590 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $80,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 6,360 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 11,840 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 5,590 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $82,100
- Median hourly wage: $39.47
- Total employment: 380 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $82,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 200 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 2,090 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $83,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.07
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $83,860
- Median hourly wage: $40.32
- Total employment: 1,330 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $84,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: 620 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $85,480
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 190 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $86,350
- Median hourly wage: $41.52
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $93,760
- Median hourly wage: $45.08
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $96,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $96,510
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: Not available

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Prath // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $98,340
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,380
- Median hourly wage: $47.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.66
- Total employment: 1,630 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $101,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.78
- Total employment: 3,920 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

socrates471 // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $102,270
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 210 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $106,360
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,790
- Median hourly wage: $51.82
- Total employment: 360 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $117,830
- Median hourly wage: $56.65
- Total employment: 150 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $120,240
- Median hourly wage: $57.81
- Total employment: 270 people (0.14 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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