Highest-paying jobs in Vineland 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 Vineland 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.

4 PM production // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $57,210
- Median hourly wage: $27.51
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $58,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.91
- Total employment: 80 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Procurement clerks

- Median annual wage: $58,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 50 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 80 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

- Median annual wage: $59,530
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 50 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Painters, construction and maintenance

- Median annual wage: $59,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.71
- Total employment: 80 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 90 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 160 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Computer numerically controlled tool operators

- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. First-line supervisors of personal service workers

- Median annual wage: $61,730
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 100 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Akimov Igor // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $62,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 80 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kuznetsov Dmitriy // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $62,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 200 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,570
- Median hourly wage: $30.08
- Total employment: 320 people (5.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Joey Chung // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $63,070
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 280 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $63,270
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 140 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $63,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 380 people (6.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $64,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 70 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $64,890
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 560 people (9.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Construction laborers

- Median annual wage: $65,180
- Median hourly wage: $31.34
- Total employment: 420 people (6.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $66,970
- Median hourly wage: $32.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $67,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.50
- Total employment: 270 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $68,690
- Median hourly wage: $33.03
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $70,480
- Median hourly wage: $33.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $70,770
- Median hourly wage: $34.02
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $72,450
- Median hourly wage: $34.83
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $72,740
- Median hourly wage: $34.97
- Total employment: 60 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $73,280
- Median hourly wage: $35.23
- Total employment: 170 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $73,650
- Median hourly wage: $35.41
- Total employment: 90 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $74,940
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 80 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $74,950
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $75,000
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 170 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $76,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 390 people (6.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $76,900
- Median hourly wage: $36.97
- Total employment: 260 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $78,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $78,710
- Median hourly wage: $37.84
- Total employment: 490 people (8.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $79,180
- Median hourly wage: $38.07
- Total employment: 80 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,670
- Median hourly wage: $39.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $84,000
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 240 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Vera Larina // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $91,960
- Median hourly wage: $44.21
- Total employment: 90 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Glaziers

- Median annual wage: $97,400
- Median hourly wage: $46.83
- Total employment: 100 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $99,480
- Median hourly wage: $47.83
- Total employment: 1,160 people (18.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $100,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $100,540
- Median hourly wage: $48.34
- Total employment: 70 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $102,000
- Median hourly wage: $49.04
- Total employment: 330 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $105,140
- Median hourly wage: $50.55
- Total employment: 210 people (3.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $107,920
- Median hourly wage: $51.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $116,970
- Median hourly wage: $56.24
- Total employment: 110 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $131,450
- Median hourly wage: $63.20
- Total employment: 90 people (1.55 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.