Highest-paying jobs in Knoxville 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 Knoxville 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.

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $53,430
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 2,340 people (5.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $54,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.98
- Total employment: 480 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $54,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 250 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $55,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 440 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Financial clerks, all other

- Median annual wage: $55,910
- Median hourly wage: $26.88
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Highway maintenance workers

- Median annual wage: $56,220
- Median hourly wage: $27.03
- Total employment: 200 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $56,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.05
- Total employment: 160 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $57,160
- Median hourly wage: $27.48
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $57,300
- Median hourly wage: $27.55
- Total employment: 250 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

10 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 2,170 people (5.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 520 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,650
- Median hourly wage: $27.72
- Total employment: 2,940 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $57,790
- Median hourly wage: $27.78
- Total employment: 740 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Viktoriia Hnatiuk // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Travel agents

- Median annual wage: $58,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.91
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $58,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 70 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $58,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 990 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $58,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 810 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $58,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 1,500 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Steve Hamann // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners

- Median annual wage: $59,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.48
- Total employment: 80 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 90 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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welcomia // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $60,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 360 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $60,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 1,790 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#27. Property, real estate, and community association managers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 620 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Protective service workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 90 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 670 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

26 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.32
- Total employment: 1,860 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 2,530 people (6.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Media and communication workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $62,300
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 6,340 people (15.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 160 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Akimov Igor // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $63,760
- Median hourly wage: $30.65
- Total employment: 300 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 1,300 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $64,020
- Median hourly wage: $30.78
- Total employment: 160 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $64,320
- Median hourly wage: $30.92
- Total employment: 630 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $64,870
- Median hourly wage: $31.19
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 2,580 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $65,820
- Median hourly wage: $31.64
- Total employment: 560 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $67,980
- Median hourly wage: $32.68
- Total employment: 270 people (0.65 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: $71,590
- Median hourly wage: $34.42
- Total employment: 1,730 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $71,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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branislavpudar // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Hazardous materials removal workers

- Median annual wage: $74,130
- Median hourly wage: $35.64
- Total employment: 210 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $75,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,850
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 230 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $76,230
- Median hourly wage: $36.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $77,180
- Median hourly wage: $37.10
- Total employment: 620 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 570 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Photostriker // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other

- Median annual wage: $82,680
- Median hourly wage: $39.75
- Total employment: 100 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $88,350
- Median hourly wage: $42.47
- Total employment: 510 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $96,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $98,220
- Median hourly wage: $47.22
- Total employment: 110 people (0.27 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.