Highest-paying jobs in Duluth 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 Duluth 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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Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 1,350 people (10.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $60,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 200 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 540 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 290 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Virrage Images // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Median annual wage: $60,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 110 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

9 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,510
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 830 people (6.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $61,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 170 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $63,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 100 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 880 people (7.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $64,840
- Median hourly wage: $31.17
- Total employment: 220 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,040
- Median hourly wage: $31.27
- Total employment: 360 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $66,380
- Median hourly wage: $31.91
- Total employment: 260 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,200
- Median hourly wage: $32.31
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $69,520
- Median hourly wage: $33.42
- Total employment: 230 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,780
- Median hourly wage: $34.03
- Total employment: 100 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kot500 // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $71,560
- Median hourly wage: $34.40
- Total employment: 360 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $72,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.01
- Total employment: 760 people (6.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $72,900
- Median hourly wage: $35.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $73,400
- Median hourly wage: $35.29
- Total employment: 80 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $73,870
- Median hourly wage: $35.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $73,980
- Median hourly wage: $35.57
- Total employment: 380 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,530
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 80 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $74,780
- Median hourly wage: $35.95
- Total employment: 300 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 450 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 120 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $76,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.89
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $77,590
- Median hourly wage: $37.30
- Total employment: 70 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $77,720
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 540 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $77,850
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 130 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $81,200
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $81,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.13
- Total employment: 500 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nikita M production // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,770
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $83,090
- Median hourly wage: $39.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

APChanel // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Railroad conductors and yardmasters

- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $83,970
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 680 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $84,230
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 490 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $84,480
- Median hourly wage: $40.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $85,510
- Median hourly wage: $41.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

brizmaker // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $85,520
- Median hourly wage: $41.11
- Total employment: 240 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $85,990
- Median hourly wage: $41.34
- Total employment: 830 people (6.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $87,050
- Median hourly wage: $41.85
- Total employment: 80 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $87,420
- Median hourly wage: $42.03
- Total employment: 280 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $95,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 120 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $102,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.23
- Total employment: 160 people (1.28 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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