The average college graduate in 2020 earned $1,305 a week, while the average high school graduate takes home just $781, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Of course, college isn't for everyone. There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college, not the least of which being cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise each year, the exception being the 2020-2021 school year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Average tuition at a public, in-state university coming in at $9,687; tuition for out-of-state students at public schools, and for everyone at private universities, is significantly higher at $21,874 and $35,087, respectively.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs for high school graduates in Portsmouth, NH-ME using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay the most for high school graduates.
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Sabel Blanco // Pexels
1 / 50#50. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,350
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,650
- Employment: 248,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($69,160)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($68,140)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($64,980)
#49. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $49,790
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- Employment: 149,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
Rob Kim // Getty Images
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,070
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,300
- Employment: 1,063,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,380
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,750
- Employment: 283,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($57,040)
--- Lima, OH ($56,660)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($50,510)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Advertising sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,390
- #205 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- Employment: 110,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)
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#45. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $50,480
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,280
- Employment: 402,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Procurement clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)
Creative Tools // Flickr
8 / 50#43. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,870
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $35,960
- Employment: 155,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($51,870)
--- Cedar Rapids, IA ($51,490)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($51,430)
#42. Surveying and mapping technicians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,770
- Employment: 53,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)
#41. Automotive body and related repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $52,070
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,430
- Employment: 137,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
--- Ames, IA ($68,340)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)
Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
11 / 50#40. Carpenters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,710
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,200
- Employment: 699,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Postal service mail carriers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $53,850
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,180
- Employment: 333,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,180
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 133,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,420
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- Employment: 549,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($88,150)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($80,420)
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
rlat // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $54,640
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,200
- Employment: 86,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)
London Metropolitan Archives/Heritage Images // Getty Images
16 / 50#35. Machinists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- #42 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,800
- Employment: 360,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($76,230)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sheet metal workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $55,980
- #142 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 128,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $56,580
- #62 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- Employment: 253,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)
#32. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $57,430
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,690
- Employment: 397,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($71,250)
Hulton Archive // Getty Images
20 / 50#31. Electricians
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #226 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,550
- Employment: 656,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,380
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,070
- Employment: 240,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,830)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($59,120)
--- Portsmouth, NH-ME ($58,380)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $58,850
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- Employment: 119,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,040
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,100
- Employment: 417,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)
Brian S. Hagberg // Wikimedia Commons
24 / 50#27. Self-enrichment teachers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,360
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)
welcomia // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $59,670
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 147,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)
goodluz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Real estate sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,660
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,990
- Employment: 168,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,040
- Employment: 103,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,280
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,350
- Employment: 385,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Chefs and head cooks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $62,570
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,740
- Employment: 101,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($79,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
#21. Construction and building inspectors
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $64,590
- #126 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,470
- Employment: 113,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)
#20. Tax preparers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $65,380
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- Employment: 62,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $66,140
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,000
- Employment: 362,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($67,770)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,400
- #58 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,230
- Employment: 503,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,680
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,010
- Employment: 1,427,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Food service managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $67,700
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,000
- Employment: 197,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Property, real estate, and community association managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,090
- #109 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,210
- Employment: 219,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ($105,220)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $69,170
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,860
- Employment: 122,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lodging managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $70,830
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 31,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($122,290)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $74,150
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,990
- Employment: 614,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $76,270
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,500
- Employment: 1,278,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Insurance sales agents
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,060
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,100
- Employment: 409,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,710
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- Employment: 287,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area ($92,500)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,830
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,100
- Employment: 475,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)
Tim Goode/PA Images // Getty Images
44 / 50#7. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $80,980
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,490
- Employment: 977,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $81,570
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- Employment: 599,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($96,900)
Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $86,790
- #115 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,300
- Employment: 105,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $91,750
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $74,410
- Employment: 114,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($109,740)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $94,530
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $97,180
- Employment: 122,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
Kelly Ogden // Wikimedia Commons
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $113,410
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,100
- Employment: 132,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
Portsmouth, NH-ME
- Annual mean salary: $116,230
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,120
- Employment: 240,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
