Highest-paying jobs in Columbia, Missouri 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 Columbia 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. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $48,860
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 290 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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2 / 50

#49. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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3 / 50

#48. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 / 50

#47. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,710
- Median hourly wage: $23.90
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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5 / 50

#46. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $50,090
- Median hourly wage: $24.08
- Total employment: 80 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Median annual wage: $50,180
- Median hourly wage: $24.12
- Total employment: 80 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $50,250
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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8 / 50

#43. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $50,400
- Median hourly wage: $24.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $51,000
- Median hourly wage: $24.52
- Total employment: 190 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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10 / 50

#41. Home appliance repairers

- Median annual wage: $52,830
- Median hourly wage: $25.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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11 / 50

#40. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $53,080
- Median hourly wage: $25.52
- Total employment: 130 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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12 / 50

#39. Office and administrative support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $53,250
- Median hourly wage: $25.60
- Total employment: 150 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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13 / 50

#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $53,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.80
- Total employment: 350 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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14 / 50

#37. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $53,890
- Median hourly wage: $25.91
- Total employment: 490 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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15 / 50

#36. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $54,760
- Median hourly wage: $26.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $55,290
- Median hourly wage: $26.58
- Total employment: 180 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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17 / 50

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $55,520
- Median hourly wage: $26.69
- Total employment: 240 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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18 / 50

#33. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $55,570
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,870
- Median hourly wage: $26.86
- Total employment: 270 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $56,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.01
- Total employment: 640 people (6.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 220 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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22 / 50

#29. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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23 / 50

#28. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $57,280
- Median hourly wage: $27.54
- Total employment: 120 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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24 / 50

#27. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $57,310
- Median hourly wage: $27.55
- Total employment: 70 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 110 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $57,690
- Median hourly wage: $27.74
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.18
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $58,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 300 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Community health workers

- Median annual wage: $58,770
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $59,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 500 people (4.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,410
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 130 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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33 / 50

#18. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $59,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 260 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $61,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.08
- Total employment: 1,030 people (9.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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38 / 50

#13. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $62,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.20
- Total employment: 260 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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39 / 50

#12. Glaziers

- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $64,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 400 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $68,460
- Median hourly wage: $32.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,740
- Median hourly wage: $33.53
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 320 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.87
- Total employment: 250 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $73,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 250 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $77,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.13
- Total employment: 90 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,010
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 260 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $80,070
- Median hourly wage: $38.50
- Total employment: 80 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $82,300
- Median hourly wage: $39.57
- Total employment: 80 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $98,690
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 80 people (0.78 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.