Highest-paying jobs in Albany, Oregon 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 Albany 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. Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

- Median annual wage: $51,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.71
- Total employment: 120 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DGLimages // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Healthcare support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $51,560
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 50 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $51,760
- Median hourly wage: $24.89
- Total employment: 330 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Steve Hamann // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

- Median annual wage: $52,820
- Median hourly wage: $25.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $55,590
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 90 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. First-line supervisors of personal service workers

- Median annual wage: $55,820
- Median hourly wage: $26.84
- Total employment: 50 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $56,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lee Charlie // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Court, municipal, and license clerks

- Median annual wage: $56,270
- Median hourly wage: $27.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 120 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $56,650
- Median hourly wage: $27.24
- Total employment: 110 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $57,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 60 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $58,430
- Median hourly wage: $28.09
- Total employment: 100 people (2.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

15 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 220 people (4.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Virrage Images // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Refuse and recyclable material collectors

- Median annual wage: $58,890
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 50 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Logging equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $58,960
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 140 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Parilov // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Logging workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $60,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 60 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $60,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 80 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 220 people (4.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $60,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 120 people (2.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 260 people (5.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $61,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.58
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $61,550
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 130 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 40 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#22. Postal service clerks (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Computer numerically controlled tool operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 260 people (5.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $62,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 70 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $62,920
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 110 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

flywish // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

- Median annual wage: $64,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 70 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $65,770
- Median hourly wage: $31.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

34 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.18
- Total employment: 290 people (6.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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GaudiLab // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 300 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $68,650
- Median hourly wage: $33.01
- Total employment: 50 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $69,730
- Median hourly wage: $33.52
- Total employment: 120 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $70,550
- Median hourly wage: $33.92
- Total employment: 50 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $72,990
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 260 people (5.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,740
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 40 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,750
- Median hourly wage: $35.94
- Total employment: 390 people (8.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 130 people (2.93 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: $83,290
- Median hourly wage: $40.04
- Total employment: 200 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $84,790
- Median hourly wage: $40.76
- Total employment: 170 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $89,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.96
- Total employment: 210 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,220
- Median hourly wage: $45.78
- Total employment: 100 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $95,710
- Median hourly wage: $46.02
- Total employment: 340 people (7.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $115,330
- Median hourly wage: $55.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $119,880
- Median hourly wage: $57.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.82 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.