Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $40,010
- Median hourly wage: $19.23
- Total employment: 450 people (10.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Goldsboro 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 Goldsboro 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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Kitreel // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $40,190
- Median hourly wage: $19.32
- Total employment: 280 people (6.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $40,360
- Median hourly wage: $19.40
- Total employment: 180 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $41,590
- Median hourly wage: $20.00
- Total employment: 90 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $42,140
- Median hourly wage: $20.26
- Total employment: 40 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $42,550
- Median hourly wage: $20.46
- Total employment: 60 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $42,970
- Median hourly wage: $20.66
- Total employment: 120 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $43,210
- Median hourly wage: $20.77
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $43,250
- Median hourly wage: $20.80
- Total employment: 40 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $43,730
- Median hourly wage: $21.03
- Total employment: 430 people (10.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Tellers
- Median annual wage: $43,800
- Median hourly wage: $21.06
- Total employment: 110 people (2.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $44,090
- Median hourly wage: $21.20
- Total employment: 50 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $45,160
- Median hourly wage: $21.71
- Total employment: 30 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $45,440
- Median hourly wage: $21.85
- Total employment: 430 people (10.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $46,040
- Median hourly wage: $22.14
- Total employment: 160 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $46,220
- Median hourly wage: $22.22
- Total employment: 120 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $46,270
- Median hourly wage: $22.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $46,480
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 140 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,680
- Median hourly wage: $22.92
- Total employment: 50 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $47,840
- Median hourly wage: $23.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $47,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.02
- Total employment: 80 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,060
- Median hourly wage: $23.11
- Total employment: 120 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $48,200
- Median hourly wage: $23.18
- Total employment: 30 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $48,620
- Median hourly wage: $23.38
- Total employment: 140 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $49,020
- Median hourly wage: $23.57
- Total employment: 70 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $49,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.58
- Total employment: 190 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $51,650
- Median hourly wage: $24.83
- Total employment: 60 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $52,330
- Median hourly wage: $25.16
- Total employment: 180 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,340
- Median hourly wage: $25.16
- Total employment: 60 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 120 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stokkete // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $54,560
- Median hourly wage: $26.23
- Total employment: 50 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $54,990
- Median hourly wage: $26.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $55,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.82
- Total employment: 120 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $56,480
- Median hourly wage: $27.15
- Total employment: 80 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $57,340
- Median hourly wage: $27.57
- Total employment: 290 people (7.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.62
- Total employment: 190 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 180 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $59,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 80 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 350 people (8.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $61,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 230 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.01
- Total employment: 120 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $65,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 60 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $66,780
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 250 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $74,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.82
- Total employment: 260 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $82,520
- Median hourly wage: $39.67
- Total employment: 50 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $82,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $83,450
- Median hourly wage: $40.12
- Total employment: 50 people (1.17 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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