Gorgev // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $60,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 1,240 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Houston 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 Houston 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. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 6,400 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $60,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 11,150 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers
- Median annual wage: $60,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.26
- Total employment: 330 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Brokerage clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: Not available
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wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
6 / 50#44. Hearing aid specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 5,380 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 1,900 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 4,490 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 18,470 people (5.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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socrates471 // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.51
- Total employment: 30 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $64,310
- Median hourly wage: $30.92
- Total employment: 1,120 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 1,250 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 900 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $65,030
- Median hourly wage: $31.27
- Total employment: 24,600 people (7.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anatoliy_gleb // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Derrick operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $65,910
- Median hourly wage: $31.69
- Total employment: 1,560 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $66,340
- Median hourly wage: $31.89
- Total employment: 39,110 people (12.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $67,760
- Median hourly wage: $32.58
- Total employment: 800 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Parilov // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Pile driver operators
- Median annual wage: $67,980
- Median hourly wage: $32.68
- Total employment: 150 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $68,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 1,500 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $69,620
- Median hourly wage: $33.47
- Total employment: 3,570 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $70,380
- Median hourly wage: $33.84
- Total employment: 210 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kardasov Films // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sailors and marine oilers
- Median annual wage: $70,660
- Median hourly wage: $33.97
- Total employment: 4,640 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $72,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.87
- Total employment: 14,610 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $73,940
- Median hourly wage: $35.55
- Total employment: 5,280 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $75,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 7,070 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,150
- Median hourly wage: $36.13
- Total employment: 24,650 people (7.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
30 / 50#20. Crane and tower operators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $75,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.27
- Total employment: 2,390 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $75,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 15,910 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: Not available
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $76,070
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 450 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,290
- Median hourly wage: $36.68
- Total employment: 2,970 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photostriker // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,800
- Median hourly wage: $37.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 17,510 people (5.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $78,290
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 3,940 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $79,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 470 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $79,150
- Median hourly wage: $38.05
- Total employment: 1,660 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $80,260
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 560 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.69
- Total employment: 3,240 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 6,930 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $82,780
- Median hourly wage: $39.80
- Total employment: 820 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $86,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.56
- Total employment: 1,830 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
- Median annual wage: $88,080
- Median hourly wage: $42.35
- Total employment: Not available
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,450
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 7,730 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $101,150
- Median hourly wage: $48.63
- Total employment: 1,820 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $103,280
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 6,200 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $110,030
- Median hourly wage: $52.90
- Total employment: 1,390 people (0.43 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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