fizkes // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. New accounts clerks
- Median annual wage: $47,640
- Median hourly wage: $22.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Hickory 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 Hickory 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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BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $47,720
- Median hourly wage: $22.94
- Total employment: 340 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
RossHelen // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $47,980
- Median hourly wage: $23.07
- Total employment: 620 people (3.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Printing press operators
- Median annual wage: $48,010
- Median hourly wage: $23.08
- Total employment: 200 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $48,020
- Median hourly wage: $23.09
- Total employment: 130 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bigflick // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $48,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 750 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $48,650
- Median hourly wage: $23.39
- Total employment: 100 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $48,680
- Median hourly wage: $23.40
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,730
- Median hourly wage: $23.43
- Total employment: 650 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
evgenii mitroshin // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $48,790
- Median hourly wage: $23.46
- Total employment: 1,070 people (6.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,870
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 390 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $49,460
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 200 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vagengeim // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Dental laboratory technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,430
- Median hourly wage: $24.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $50,660
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 30 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 420 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $51,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 320 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $52,150
- Median hourly wage: $25.07
- Total employment: 1,400 people (9.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $52,270
- Median hourly wage: $25.13
- Total employment: 770 people (4.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $52,620
- Median hourly wage: $25.30
- Total employment: 690 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Fabric and apparel patternmakers
- Median annual wage: $53,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.85
- Total employment: 120 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.09
- Total employment: 440 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $57,020
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 100 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 120 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $58,180
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 130 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $58,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.19
- Total employment: 110 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 1,120 people (7.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $59,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.55
- Total employment: 450 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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avenavaz // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Upholsterers
- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 2,140 people (13.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 780 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 1,790 people (11.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 860 people (5.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.83
- Total employment: 740 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.89
- Total employment: 350 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $60,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $60,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 230 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 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: $63,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 1,790 people (11.54 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: $65,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 600 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,780
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 660 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $68,120
- Median hourly wage: $32.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $75,240
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 190 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 100 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.42 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: $84,710
- Median hourly wage: $40.73
- Total employment: 250 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $96,900
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,240
- Median hourly wage: $46.75
- Total employment: 250 people (1.59 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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