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1 / 50#50. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $56,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.21
- Total employment: 90 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Reading 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 Reading 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. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $56,750
- Median hourly wage: $27.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $57,050
- Median hourly wage: $27.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $57,530
- Median hourly wage: $27.66
- Total employment: 650 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 460 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 430 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $58,520
- Median hourly wage: $28.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $58,660
- Median hourly wage: $28.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $58,940
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 300 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 110 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 390 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,530
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 260 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $59,580
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 150 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 160 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $59,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.80
- Total employment: 180 people (1.04 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: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 150 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $60,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 950 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $60,700
- Median hourly wage: $29.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $61,000
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,010
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
22 / 50#28. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nordroden // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 430 people (2.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $61,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.57
- Total employment: 300 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $61,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 540 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 420 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.51
- Total employment: 240 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 1,570 people (9.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $64,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 730 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 1,590 people (9.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 260 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Akimov Igor // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $64,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $65,750
- Median hourly wage: $31.61
- Total employment: 880 people (5.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $65,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.64
- Total employment: 940 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $66,150
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 750 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $66,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.98
- Total employment: 130 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $68,820
- Median hourly wage: $33.09
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $71,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.18
- Total employment: 110 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $75,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 1,620 people (9.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 80 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $77,390
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $78,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.73
- Total employment: 670 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 690 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $82,070
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 200 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $87,930
- Median hourly wage: $42.28
- Total employment: 640 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $97,930
- Median hourly wage: $47.08
- Total employment: 180 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $99,310
- Median hourly wage: $47.75
- Total employment: 230 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $108,050
- Median hourly wage: $51.95
- Total employment: 110 people (0.65 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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