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1 / 50#50. Mail clerks and mail machine operators, except postal service
- Median annual wage: $39,230
- Median hourly wage: $18.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Brownsville 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 Brownsville 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. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $39,560
- Median hourly wage: $19.02
- Total employment: 400 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $39,580
- Median hourly wage: $19.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $39,620
- Median hourly wage: $19.05
- Total employment: 190 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $39,850
- Median hourly wage: $19.16
- Total employment: 70 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $40,230
- Median hourly wage: $19.34
- Total employment: 170 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,710
- Median hourly wage: $19.57
- Total employment: 180 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Procurement clerks
- Median annual wage: $40,850
- Median hourly wage: $19.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $41,010
- Median hourly wage: $19.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Efired // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bill and account collectors
- Median annual wage: $41,430
- Median hourly wage: $19.92
- Total employment: 150 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $41,690
- Median hourly wage: $20.04
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $41,700
- Median hourly wage: $20.05
- Total employment: 150 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $42,070
- Median hourly wage: $20.23
- Total employment: 110 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $42,620
- Median hourly wage: $20.49
- Total employment: 250 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $43,330
- Median hourly wage: $20.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $43,770
- Median hourly wage: $21.05
- Total employment: 60 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $44,030
- Median hourly wage: $21.17
- Total employment: 930 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $44,060
- Median hourly wage: $21.18
- Total employment: 660 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $44,900
- Median hourly wage: $21.59
- Total employment: 620 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $46,260
- Median hourly wage: $22.24
- Total employment: 330 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $46,500
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 790 people (4.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $46,880
- Median hourly wage: $22.54
- Total employment: 130 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $47,020
- Median hourly wage: $22.61
- Total employment: 120 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $47,300
- Median hourly wage: $22.74
- Total employment: 110 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $47,780
- Median hourly wage: $22.97
- Total employment: 480 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $48,370
- Median hourly wage: $23.25
- Total employment: 110 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stokkete // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Information and record clerks, all other
- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 110 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,550
- Median hourly wage: $23.34
- Total employment: 280 people (1.78 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: $48,840
- Median hourly wage: $23.48
- Total employment: 1,710 people (10.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $50,030
- Median hourly wage: $24.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $50,640
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 290 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,610
- Median hourly wage: $24.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $52,520
- Median hourly wage: $25.25
- Total employment: 180 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $54,120
- Median hourly wage: $26.02
- Total employment: 80 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $54,410
- Median hourly wage: $26.16
- Total employment: 480 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $55,870
- Median hourly wage: $26.86
- Total employment: 170 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $55,910
- Median hourly wage: $26.88
- Total employment: 290 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $56,020
- Median hourly wage: $26.93
- Total employment: 400 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $56,380
- Median hourly wage: $27.10
- Total employment: 40 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 950 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $57,820
- Median hourly wage: $27.80
- Total employment: 260 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $58,470
- Median hourly wage: $28.11
- Total employment: 180 people (1.13 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: $58,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.23
- Total employment: 430 people (2.75 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: $59,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 470 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 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: $63,890
- Median hourly wage: $30.71
- Total employment: 160 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $76,390
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 220 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $77,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 100 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 90 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $107,240
- Median hourly wage: $51.56
- Total employment: 760 people (4.82 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.
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