Highest-paying jobs in Lansing 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 Lansing 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: Lansing 7-day weather forecast

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 170 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $59,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 170 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 300 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $59,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.68
- Total employment: 120 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $59,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 420 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Best restaurants for 8 cuisines in Lansing

Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Tapers

- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $60,100
- Median hourly wage: $28.90
- Total employment: 210 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $60,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 390 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Median annual wage: $60,400
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 200 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $60,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 150 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 130 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $60,700
- Median hourly wage: $29.18
- Total employment: 190 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Glaziers

- Median annual wage: $60,720
- Median hourly wage: $29.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rudenkois // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Musical instrument repairers and tuners

- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#35. Office and administrative support workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 1,000 people (4.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 210 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 470 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 560 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $62,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 680 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Lansing

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 1,220 people (5.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 1,130 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

mahc // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Tile and stone setters

- Median annual wage: $63,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 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: $63,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.54
- Total employment: 1,250 people (5.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $63,650
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 350 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Lansing?

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $63,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 110 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $64,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.06
- Total employment: 700 people (3.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 840 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 130 people (0.61 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: $67,500
- Median hourly wage: $32.45
- Total employment: 2,000 people (9.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $68,850
- Median hourly wage: $33.10
- Total employment: 650 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $69,520
- Median hourly wage: $33.43
- Total employment: 160 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $73,960
- Median hourly wage: $35.56
- Total employment: 190 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 730 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.33
- Total employment: 690 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in Lansing

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $75,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.41
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $76,070
- Median hourly wage: $36.57
- Total employment: 880 people (4.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $77,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 1,230 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $77,300
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 170 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $78,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.71
- Total employment: 520 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Best private K-12 schools in the Lansing metro area

sculpies // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 900 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $80,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $82,570
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $84,660
- Median hourly wage: $40.70
- Total employment: 180 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $85,390
- Median hourly wage: $41.05
- Total employment: 110 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Coat drives near Lansing

Vladeep // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $86,600
- Median hourly wage: $41.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $93,530
- Median hourly wage: $44.97
- Total employment: 300 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $95,270
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 200 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $99,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $104,930
- Median hourly wage: $50.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 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.