Highest-paying jobs in St. Louis 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 St. Louis 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. Artists and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $63,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 8,910 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 1,800 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fortish // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters

- Median annual wage: $64,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 1,540 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $65,090
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 9,500 people (7.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

7 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,910
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 11,400 people (8.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $66,000
- Median hourly wage: $31.73
- Total employment: 380 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $66,150
- Median hourly wage: $31.81
- Total employment: Not available

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10 / 50

#41. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders

- Median annual wage: $67,120
- Median hourly wage: $32.27
- Total employment: 80 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Fusionstudio // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles

- Median annual wage: $67,450
- Median hourly wage: $32.43
- Total employment: 670 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SpeedKingz // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Personal service managers, all other

- Median annual wage: $69,150
- Median hourly wage: $33.24
- Total employment: 100 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $69,240
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 510 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

First Class Photography // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers

- Median annual wage: $70,080
- Median hourly wage: $33.69
- Total employment: 380 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Fabric and apparel patternmakers

- Median annual wage: $71,250
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $72,020
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 6,070 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Cineberg // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Helpers, construction trades, all other

- Median annual wage: $72,780
- Median hourly wage: $34.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $73,060
- Median hourly wage: $35.12
- Total employment: 4,150 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Denys Yelmanov // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Bridge and lock tenders

- Median annual wage: $74,090
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 180 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $75,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 240 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 6,080 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters

- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 160 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $75,950
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $75,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.54
- Total employment: 200 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $76,280
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 510 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

M2020 // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $76,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 590 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Radovan1 / Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Plasterers and stucco masons

- Median annual wage: $76,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: Not available

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Median hourly wage: $36.99
- Total employment: Not available

John Leung // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $77,120
- Median hourly wage: $37.08
- Total employment: 1,070 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 4,460 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $78,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 3,210 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $79,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: Not available

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34 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $79,250
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

socrates471 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Media and communication equipment workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $79,250
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $79,280
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 6,460 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Tapers

- Median annual wage: $80,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 180 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $81,260
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 3,690 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $82,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.49
- Total employment: 1,520 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $86,200
- Median hourly wage: $41.44
- Total employment: 600 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $87,230
- Median hourly wage: $41.94
- Total employment: 1,280 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $87,430
- Median hourly wage: $42.03
- Total employment: 320 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $88,440
- Median hourly wage: $42.52
- Total employment: 300 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Said M // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $89,540
- Median hourly wage: $43.05
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 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: $91,360
- Median hourly wage: $43.93
- Total employment: 5,640 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $94,620
- Median hourly wage: $45.49
- Total employment: 100 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $97,440
- Median hourly wage: $46.85
- Total employment: 380 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $100,410
- Median hourly wage: $48.27
- Total employment: 1,160 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $101,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 1,450 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $101,950
- Median hourly wage: $49.01
- Total employment: 1,770 people (1.32 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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