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1 / 50#50. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $50,600
- Median hourly wage: $24.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Canton 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 Canton 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. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $50,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.42
- Total employment: 410 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $51,440
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 490 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Helpers, construction trades, all other
- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $53,570
- Median hourly wage: $25.76
- Total employment: 180 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ArtSvetlana // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $53,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $54,290
- Median hourly wage: $26.10
- Total employment: 150 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 840 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $55,580
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $56,070
- Median hourly wage: $26.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $56,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $56,720
- Median hourly wage: $27.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $56,950
- Median hourly wage: $27.38
- Total employment: 480 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $57,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.41
- Total employment: 420 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 510 people (3.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $57,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $58,500
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 430 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 490 people (2.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 210 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 1,140 people (6.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,640
- Median hourly wage: $28.68
- Total employment: 700 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $59,800
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 160 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $59,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 480 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 370 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 100 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.12
- Total employment: 210 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $60,840
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 190 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Glaziers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 120 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 170 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 70 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,040
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 750 people (4.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $63,240
- Median hourly wage: $30.40
- Total employment: 100 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $64,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 1,540 people (9.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $64,990
- Median hourly wage: $31.25
- Total employment: 610 people (3.7 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: $66,320
- Median hourly wage: $31.89
- Total employment: 1,110 people (6.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $73,440
- Median hourly wage: $35.31
- Total employment: 190 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $73,700
- Median hourly wage: $35.43
- Total employment: 70 people (0.41 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: $76,590
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 630 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $77,620
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 700 people (4.24 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: $78,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 160 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $79,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $81,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.00
- Total employment: 1,180 people (7.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $84,660
- Median hourly wage: $40.70
- Total employment: 140 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $85,530
- Median hourly wage: $41.12
- Total employment: 150 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $93,040
- Median hourly wage: $44.73
- Total employment: 270 people (1.66 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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