brizmaker // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $49,130
- Median hourly wage: $23.62
- Total employment: 60 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Missoula 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 Missoula 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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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,310
- Median hourly wage: $23.71
- Total employment: 90 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,380
- Median hourly wage: $23.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.98
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $50,080
- Median hourly wage: $24.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $50,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,390
- Median hourly wage: $24.71
- Total employment: 70 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $52,080
- Median hourly wage: $25.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $52,270
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Median annual wage: $53,750
- Median hourly wage: $25.84
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bus drivers, transit and intercity
- Median annual wage: $55,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 80 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $55,570
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $56,280
- Median hourly wage: $27.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,560
- Median hourly wage: $27.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $56,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 70 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $57,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 70 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 420 people (6.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.96
- Total employment: 140 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $58,750
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 200 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.27
- Total employment: 220 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.58 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: $58,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 560 people (8.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,440
- Median hourly wage: $28.58
- Total employment: 390 people (5.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 100 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $60,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 100 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.37
- Total employment: 210 people (3.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $61,180
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 110 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,580
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: Not available
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 510 people (7.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 70 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
33 / 50#17. Machinists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Food service managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 140 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 300 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 240 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 120 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $66,770
- Median hourly wage: $32.10
- Total employment: 250 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $69,730
- Median hourly wage: $33.53
- Total employment: 150 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $73,010
- Median hourly wage: $35.10
- Total employment: 290 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 430 people (6.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,760
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 170 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.38
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $78,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 240 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bigflick // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $78,850
- Median hourly wage: $37.91
- Total employment: 120 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,970
- Median hourly wage: $50.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $107,320
- Median hourly wage: $51.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $114,150
- Median hourly wage: $54.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 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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