Highest-paying jobs in Tulsa 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 Tulsa 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. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 320 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

HannaTor // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Gambling managers

- Median annual wage: $58,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.06
- Total employment: 70 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $58,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.18
- Total employment: 2,360 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $59,190
- Median hourly wage: $28.46
- Total employment: 780 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 200 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

RossHelen // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $59,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 560 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $59,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 1,090 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Said M // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $59,890
- Median hourly wage: $28.79
- Total employment: 370 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 110 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.92
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 460 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $60,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 2,620 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Studio 72 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $60,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 870 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $60,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.18
- Total employment: 620 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $60,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.32
- Total employment: 4,000 people (8.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Gress Media Inc // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Engine and other machine assemblers

- Median annual wage: $61,260
- Median hourly wage: $29.45
- Total employment: 130 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $61,360
- Median hourly wage: $29.50
- Total employment: 210 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,550
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 280 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $61,580
- Median hourly wage: $29.60
- Total employment: 2,200 people (4.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 5,070 people (11.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $61,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 30 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 1,940 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 850 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,470
- Median hourly wage: $30.51
- Total employment: 1,750 people (3.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 310 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 740 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 110 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $65,060
- Median hourly wage: $31.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $65,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 70 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $65,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 1,010 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $66,050
- Median hourly wage: $31.75
- Total employment: 630 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $66,300
- Median hourly wage: $31.88
- Total employment: 70 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,330
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 3,300 people (7.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $69,930
- Median hourly wage: $33.62
- Total employment: 180 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.23
- Total employment: 3,000 people (6.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 2,660 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 240 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: Not available

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,560
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 880 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 250 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $80,940
- Median hourly wage: $38.92
- Total employment: 90 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers

- Median annual wage: $88,730
- Median hourly wage: $42.66
- Total employment: 80 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,400
- Median hourly wage: $45.87
- Total employment: 440 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $96,200
- Median hourly wage: $46.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $96,350
- Median hourly wage: $46.32
- Total employment: 400 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)