Philip Lange // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $48,020
- Median hourly wage: $23.09
- Total employment: 90 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Chambersburg 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 Chambersburg 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. Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $48,140
- Median hourly wage: $23.14
- Total employment: 110 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Alba_alioth // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $48,600
- Median hourly wage: $23.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Payroll and timekeeping clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $48,860
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $48,860
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 80 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $49,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 330 people (5.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $49,870
- Median hourly wage: $23.97
- Total employment: 300 people (5.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $50,120
- Median hourly wage: $24.10
- Total employment: 70 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $50,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $50,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.24
- Total employment: 130 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $50,520
- Median hourly wage: $24.29
- Total employment: 270 people (4.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $51,040
- Median hourly wage: $24.54
- Total employment: 460 people (8.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $51,440
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 80 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
16 / 50#34. Automotive body and related repairers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,420
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 110 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Maintenance and repair workers, general (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,420
- Median hourly wage: $25.68
- Total employment: 740 people (12.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $54,010
- Median hourly wage: $25.97
- Total employment: 120 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $54,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $54,430
- Median hourly wage: $26.17
- Total employment: 130 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $55,950
- Median hourly wage: $26.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $56,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $56,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $57,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.66
- Total employment: 220 people (3.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 260 people (4.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $57,770
- Median hourly wage: $27.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Procurement clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 90 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.99
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,350
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 180 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $58,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 100 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $58,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Umomos // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $59,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,490
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 220 people (3.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $59,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.78
- Total employment: 110 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 320 people (5.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $62,620
- Median hourly wage: $30.11
- Total employment: 460 people (7.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 330 people (5.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Motor vehicle operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,150
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 80 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $65,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 230 people (4.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,720
- Median hourly wage: $32.08
- Total employment: 410 people (7.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $66,990
- Median hourly wage: $32.21
- Total employment: 410 people (6.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $67,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.41
- Total employment: 460 people (7.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $71,160
- Median hourly wage: $34.21
- Total employment: 240 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,810
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,650
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 250 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,590
- Median hourly wage: $46.44
- Total employment: 100 people (1.76 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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