Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Reno 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 Reno 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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2 / 50#49. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,620
- Median hourly wage: $30.11
- Total employment: 460 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 160 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.37
- Total employment: 2,920 people (10.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $63,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $63,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.56
- Total employment: 680 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,580
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 2,260 people (8.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $63,620
- Median hourly wage: $30.59
- Total employment: 1,210 people (4.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 1,520 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,930
- Median hourly wage: $30.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $64,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 400 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 110 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $65,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.40
- Total employment: 410 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $65,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.46
- Total employment: 190 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rezoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $69,280
- Median hourly wage: $33.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $70,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $71,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.39
- Total employment: 220 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kot500 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $72,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.87
- Total employment: 540 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $72,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,140
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Bailiffs
- Median annual wage: $74,440
- Median hourly wage: $35.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 550 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $75,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 1,110 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $76,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.54
- Total employment: 150 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anatoliy_gleb // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Solar photovoltaic installers
- Median annual wage: $76,530
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $76,630
- Median hourly wage: $36.84
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.98
- Total employment: 1,290 people (4.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Meter readers, utilities
- Median annual wage: $77,780
- Median hourly wage: $37.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $78,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.73
- Total employment: 1,270 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,900
- Median hourly wage: $37.93
- Total employment: 1,080 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $79,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 140 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $79,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 900 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $81,170
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 250 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $81,300
- Median hourly wage: $39.09
- Total employment: Not available
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Carpet installers
- Median annual wage: $81,620
- Median hourly wage: $39.24
- Total employment: 170 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $81,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $81,980
- Median hourly wage: $39.41
- Total employment: 1,830 people (6.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $87,230
- Median hourly wage: $41.94
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $87,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: Not available
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $92,520
- Median hourly wage: $44.48
- Total employment: 810 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,890
- Median hourly wage: $47.54
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $105,220
- Median hourly wage: $50.59
- Total employment: 120 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $105,820
- Median hourly wage: $50.87
- Total employment: 100 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $109,920
- Median hourly wage: $52.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $123,680
- Median hourly wage: $59.46
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $135,350
- Median hourly wage: $65.07
- Total employment: 260 people (0.97 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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