BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $46,470
- Median hourly wage: $22.34
- Total employment: 610 people (5.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Longview, Texas 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 Longview 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 drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $46,480
- Median hourly wage: $22.35
- Total employment: 450 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $46,690
- Median hourly wage: $22.45
- Total employment: 230 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $47,100
- Median hourly wage: $22.64
- Total employment: 80 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $47,340
- Median hourly wage: $22.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $47,350
- Median hourly wage: $22.76
- Total employment: 220 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $47,660
- Median hourly wage: $22.91
- Total employment: 510 people (4.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $48,040
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 410 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.10
- Total employment: 300 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $48,610
- Median hourly wage: $23.37
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $48,780
- Median hourly wage: $23.45
- Total employment: 440 people (3.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
mrak.hr // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $48,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 100 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,470
- Median hourly wage: $23.79
- Total employment: 130 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LaKirr // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Extraction workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,690
- Median hourly wage: $23.89
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $50,270
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $51,290
- Median hourly wage: $24.66
- Total employment: 1,380 people (11.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,880
- Median hourly wage: $24.94
- Total employment: 320 people (2.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $52,960
- Median hourly wage: $25.46
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Guiderom // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Rail car repairers
- Median annual wage: $53,630
- Median hourly wage: $25.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $54,650
- Median hourly wage: $26.27
- Total employment: 190 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $55,160
- Median hourly wage: $26.52
- Total employment: 140 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $55,710
- Median hourly wage: $26.79
- Total employment: 160 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $56,100
- Median hourly wage: $26.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $57,190
- Median hourly wage: $27.49
- Total employment: 1,280 people (10.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $57,570
- Median hourly wage: $27.68
- Total employment: 430 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $58,010
- Median hourly wage: $27.89
- Total employment: 840 people (7.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 870 people (7.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $58,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.17
- Total employment: 40 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,690
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.75
- Total employment: 890 people (7.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: Not available
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 200 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 140 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 320 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $60,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 460 people (3.88 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: $62,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 1,230 people (10.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,580
- Median hourly wage: $30.57
- Total employment: 860 people (7.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $64,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 530 people (4.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $66,270
- Median hourly wage: $31.86
- Total employment: Not available
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $68,490
- Median hourly wage: $32.93
- Total employment: 190 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $73,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 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: $73,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 760 people (6.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $77,190
- Median hourly wage: $37.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $83,610
- Median hourly wage: $40.20
- Total employment: 210 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $104,680
- Median hourly wage: $50.33
- Total employment: 110 people (0.92 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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