muratart // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $60,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Salem 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 Salem 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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RossHelen // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $60,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $60,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.23
- Total employment: 150 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 240 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 210 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Susan Law Cain // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Tree trimmers and pruners
- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 280 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $62,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.01
- Total employment: 210 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 130 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 160 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $64,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $64,490
- Median hourly wage: $31.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $65,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.63
- Total employment: 360 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $66,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.07
- Total employment: 750 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $67,500
- Median hourly wage: $32.45
- Total employment: 1,390 people (7.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $68,330
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 960 people (5.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $68,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $69,560
- Median hourly wage: $33.44
- Total employment: 910 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $71,440
- Median hourly wage: $34.35
- Total employment: 150 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $71,870
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $71,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.61
- Total employment: 220 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $72,480
- Median hourly wage: $34.84
- Total employment: 220 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $72,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 200 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $72,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.07
- Total employment: 30 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Tapers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $78,450
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $78,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GolF2532 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $79,420
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 170 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $79,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.27
- Total employment: 440 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $80,020
- Median hourly wage: $38.47
- Total employment: Not available
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 510 people (2.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $80,580
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,490
- Median hourly wage: $39.18
- Total employment: 640 people (3.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $82,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.78
- Total employment: 750 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $82,920
- Median hourly wage: $39.87
- Total employment: 780 people (4.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $84,540
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 170 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $85,170
- Median hourly wage: $40.95
- Total employment: 570 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $86,940
- Median hourly wage: $41.80
- Total employment: 150 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $88,550
- Median hourly wage: $42.57
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $92,660
- Median hourly wage: $44.55
- Total employment: 890 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $94,330
- Median hourly wage: $45.35
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $95,650
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 140 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,280
- Median hourly wage: $46.77
- Total employment: 240 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $107,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $127,600
- Median hourly wage: $61.35
- Total employment: 180 people (0.94 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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