Highest-paying jobs in Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City 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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Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $46,760
- Median hourly wage: $22.48
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 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: $46,980
- Median hourly wage: $22.59
- Total employment: 60 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

alexkich // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics

- Median annual wage: $47,200
- Median hourly wage: $22.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $47,660
- Median hourly wage: $22.91
- Total employment: 140 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $48,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

giocalde // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#44. Printing press operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $48,010
- Median hourly wage: $23.08
- Total employment: 140 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Telecommunications line installers and repairers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $48,010
- Median hourly wage: $23.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $48,170
- Median hourly wage: $23.16
- Total employment: 150 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $48,320
- Median hourly wage: $23.23
- Total employment: 250 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

adriaticfoto // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Miscellaneous construction and related workers

- Median annual wage: $48,920
- Median hourly wage: $23.52
- Total employment: 160 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

11 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $49,100
- Median hourly wage: $23.61
- Total employment: 460 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 180 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $49,210
- Median hourly wage: $23.66
- Total employment: 180 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $49,350
- Median hourly wage: $23.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $49,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 120 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $49,960
- Median hourly wage: $24.02
- Total employment: 360 people (4.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 490 people (6.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $50,880
- Median hourly wage: $24.46
- Total employment: 370 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $51,970
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 100 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $52,310
- Median hourly wage: $25.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Africa Studio // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $53,770
- Median hourly wage: $25.85
- Total employment: 100 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $54,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.23
- Total employment: 510 people (6.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $54,940
- Median hourly wage: $26.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.62
- Total employment: 150 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services

- Median annual wage: $55,460
- Median hourly wage: $26.67
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $55,890
- Median hourly wage: $26.87
- Total employment: 350 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $56,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.18
- Total employment: 110 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $56,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.23
- Total employment: 50 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Umomos // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $57,420
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $57,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 530 people (6.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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brizmaker // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 100 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $58,650
- Median hourly wage: $28.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

33 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 190 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

34 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 710 people (9.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $59,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 80 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $60,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 160 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,270
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 150 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 420 people (5.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 480 people (6.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $62,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Private detectives and investigators

- Median annual wage: $68,330
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $69,990
- Median hourly wage: $33.65
- Total employment: 100 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $70,660
- Median hourly wage: $33.97
- Total employment: 180 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $77,390
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 290 people (3.78 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: $77,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.30
- Total employment: 350 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 340 people (4.32 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: $80,760
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $86,080
- Median hourly wage: $41.38
- Total employment: 310 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $93,020
- Median hourly wage: $44.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $99,650
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 270 people (3.49 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.