Highest-paying jobs in Corpus Christi 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 Corpus Christi 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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1 / 50

#50. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $49,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.04
- Total employment: 210 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Alba_alioth // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $50,480
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $52,100
- Median hourly wage: $25.05
- Total employment: 140 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

flywish // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Structural metal fabricators and fitters

- Median annual wage: $52,400
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 100 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $53,640
- Median hourly wage: $25.79
- Total employment: 60 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $55,370
- Median hourly wage: $26.62
- Total employment: 980 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

7 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,680
- Median hourly wage: $26.77
- Total employment: 1,140 people (6.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 370 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $56,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.16
- Total employment: 1,140 people (6.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

11 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $56,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.36
- Total employment: 200 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $57,150
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

13 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 90 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $58,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 750 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $58,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $58,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.30
- Total employment: 1,970 people (10.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $58,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.33
- Total employment: 340 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Said M // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $59,490
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 200 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,520
- Median hourly wage: $28.61
- Total employment: 690 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.62
- Total employment: 1,020 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $60,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 260 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Transportation security screeners

- Median annual wage: $60,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 60 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 460 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $61,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 560 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $61,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 790 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

prochasson frederic // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 380 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 310 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 520 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $63,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 60 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 420 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $64,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $66,630
- Median hourly wage: $32.04
- Total employment: 220 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $72,320
- Median hourly wage: $34.77
- Total employment: 1,210 people (6.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,330
- Median hourly wage: $34.78
- Total employment: 1,820 people (9.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $72,420
- Median hourly wage: $34.82
- Total employment: 1,000 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $72,870
- Median hourly wage: $35.03
- Total employment: 360 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $76,270
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 310 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Chemical equipment operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 180 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 710 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $78,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $81,880
- Median hourly wage: $39.37
- Total employment: 200 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $86,530
- Median hourly wage: $41.60
- Total employment: 350 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)