Highest-paying jobs in Columbus 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 Columbus 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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1 / 50

#50. Brokerage clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 290 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $62,610
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 290 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $63,070
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 950 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $63,160
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 5,390 people (4.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dagmara_K // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Drywall and ceiling tile installers

- Median annual wage: $63,530
- Median hourly wage: $30.54
- Total employment: 380 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 2,740 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Photostriker // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other

- Median annual wage: $63,650
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Community health workers

- Median annual wage: $64,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 650 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

9 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 9,550 people (8.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 380 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 2,420 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $64,940
- Median hourly wage: $31.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

13 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,970
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 9,670 people (8.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall

- Median annual wage: $65,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 480 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Richard Thornton // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Roustabouts, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $65,450
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: 2,660 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $65,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: 920 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $65,640
- Median hourly wage: $31.56
- Total employment: Not available

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19 / 50

#32. Wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $65,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: Not available

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20 / 50

#31. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $66,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 1,060 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,110
- Median hourly wage: $33.71
- Total employment: 3,830 people (3.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $70,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 3,510 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $71,700
- Median hourly wage: $34.47
- Total employment: 820 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,400
- Median hourly wage: $34.81
- Total employment: 8,700 people (8.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Bus drivers, transit and intercity

- Median annual wage: $72,480
- Median hourly wage: $34.85
- Total employment: 640 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $73,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.41
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $73,760
- Median hourly wage: $35.46
- Total employment: 170 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Traffic technicians

- Median annual wage: $74,060
- Median hourly wage: $35.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $74,900
- Median hourly wage: $36.01
- Total employment: 370 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $75,000
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 3,170 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $75,480
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 110 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

socrates471 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $75,630
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $77,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.45
- Total employment: 310 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,940
- Median hourly wage: $37.47
- Total employment: 540 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,170
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $79,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 1,410 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

muratart // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,570
- Median hourly wage: $38.73
- Total employment: 950 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kojala // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Artists and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $80,680
- Median hourly wage: $38.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.00
- Total employment: 3,710 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.02
- Total employment: 5,170 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $84,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $84,780
- Median hourly wage: $40.76
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $85,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $90,090
- Median hourly wage: $43.31
- Total employment: 160 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $94,390
- Median hourly wage: $45.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $99,960
- Median hourly wage: $48.06
- Total employment: 5,230 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $100,000
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 1,950 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $101,660
- Median hourly wage: $48.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $110,860
- Median hourly wage: $53.30
- Total employment: 1,040 people (0.96 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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