Highest-paying jobs in Las Vegas 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 Las Vegas 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. Occupational therapy aides

- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: Not available

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2 / 50

#49. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 250 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $63,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 1,040 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 / 50

#47. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: Not available

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5 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 230 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $63,300
- Median hourly wage: $30.43
- Total employment: 2,010 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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7 / 50

#44. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: Not available

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8 / 50

#43. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 920 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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9 / 50

#42. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $63,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 1,960 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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10 / 50

#41. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $63,880
- Median hourly wage: $30.71
- Total employment: 740 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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11 / 50

#40. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $64,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.95
- Total employment: 2,850 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Recreational vehicle service technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.99
- Total employment: 200 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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13 / 50

#38. Dental laboratory technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,780
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 130 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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14 / 50

#37. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers

- Median annual wage: $64,830
- Median hourly wage: $31.17
- Total employment: 4,890 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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15 / 50

#36. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $64,950
- Median hourly wage: $31.22
- Total employment: 5,970 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $65,130
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: Not available

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17 / 50

#34. Meter readers, utilities

- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

anatoliy_gleb // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Solar photovoltaic installers

- Median annual wage: $66,070
- Median hourly wage: $31.77
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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19 / 50

#32. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $66,190
- Median hourly wage: $31.82
- Total employment: Not available

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20 / 50

#31. Musical instrument repairers and tuners

- Median annual wage: $66,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.95
- Total employment: Not available

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21 / 50

#30. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $68,840
- Median hourly wage: $33.10
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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22 / 50

#29. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $68,910
- Median hourly wage: $33.13
- Total employment: 1,150 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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24 / 50

#27. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $72,070
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 160 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $72,620
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Animal control workers

- Median annual wage: $73,310
- Median hourly wage: $35.24
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,340
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 3,340 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $75,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.20
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $75,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 730 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $76,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.92
- Total employment: 2,060 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 280 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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32 / 50

#19. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $78,570
- Median hourly wage: $37.77
- Total employment: 400 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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33 / 50

#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $78,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 4,080 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,980
- Median hourly wage: $37.97
- Total employment: 330 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 480 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,980
- Median hourly wage: $38.45
- Total employment: 6,340 people (5.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

#14. Carpet installers

- Median annual wage: $82,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.56
- Total employment: 730 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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38 / 50

#13. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $83,830
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 410 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $84,100
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 1,380 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Gambling managers

- Median annual wage: $92,270
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 550 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $95,590
- Median hourly wage: $45.96
- Total employment: 440 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

#9. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $98,560
- Median hourly wage: $47.39
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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43 / 50

#8. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

- Median annual wage: $99,570
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 310 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $108,000
- Median hourly wage: $51.92
- Total employment: 160 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $108,640
- Median hourly wage: $52.23
- Total employment: Not available

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47 / 50

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $120,260
- Median hourly wage: $57.82
- Total employment: 600 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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48 / 50

#3. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $132,560
- Median hourly wage: $63.73
- Total employment: Not available

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49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $133,660
- Median hourly wage: $64.26
- Total employment: 760 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $133,910
- Median hourly wage: $64.38
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 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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