Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Semiconductor processing technicians
- Median annual wage: $58,900
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 80 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Manchester 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 Manchester 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. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 500 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,020
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 420 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $59,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 560 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $59,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 120 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $59,800
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 300 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zivica Kerkez // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Loan interviewers and clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 200 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $60,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 100 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 790 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $60,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 50 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ImYanis // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 680 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $61,280
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 130 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 110 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $62,070
- Median hourly wage: $29.84
- Total employment: 120 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $62,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.96
- Total employment: 190 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 230 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 560 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Carpet installers
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 1,030 people (5.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $63,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 460 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksandar Malivuk // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mechanical door repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,660
- Median hourly wage: $30.61
- Total employment: 100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 330 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $63,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.73
- Total employment: 300 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $65,260
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $66,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.05
- Total employment: 1,360 people (6.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $67,300
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 190 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $67,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 900 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $67,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 200 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $69,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $69,850
- Median hourly wage: $33.58
- Total employment: 400 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $71,940
- Median hourly wage: $34.59
- Total employment: 230 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $72,240
- Median hourly wage: $34.73
- Total employment: 90 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $73,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 1,340 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorgev // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $75,140
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 740 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $75,850
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 2,330 people (11.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $79,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 240 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 940 people (4.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $81,860
- Median hourly wage: $39.36
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 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: $84,880
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 1,000 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $85,050
- Median hourly wage: $40.89
- Total employment: 200 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $85,300
- Median hourly wage: $41.01
- Total employment: 860 people (4.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $89,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 350 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,830
- Median hourly wage: $46.55
- Total employment: 170 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $105,660
- Median hourly wage: $50.80
- Total employment: 140 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $108,380
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 480 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $116,170
- Median hourly wage: $55.85
- Total employment: 80 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $129,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.03
- Total employment: 240 people (1.18 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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