Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $45,950
- Median hourly wage: $22.09
- Total employment: 610 people (8.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg 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. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $46,090
- Median hourly wage: $22.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $46,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.33
- Total employment: 330 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $46,510
- Median hourly wage: $22.36
- Total employment: 60 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $46,650
- Median hourly wage: $22.43
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $46,720
- Median hourly wage: $22.46
- Total employment: 80 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $47,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.81
- Total employment: 370 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $47,720
- Median hourly wage: $22.94
- Total employment: 70 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rido // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $47,910
- Median hourly wage: $23.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $48,230
- Median hourly wage: $23.19
- Total employment: 960 people (12.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $48,310
- Median hourly wage: $23.23
- Total employment: 110 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $48,380
- Median hourly wage: $23.26
- Total employment: 250 people (3.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $48,540
- Median hourly wage: $23.34
- Total employment: Not available
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $48,700
- Median hourly wage: $23.42
- Total employment: 420 people (5.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $49,060
- Median hourly wage: $23.59
- Total employment: 2,610 people (35.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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New Africa // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $49,170
- Median hourly wage: $23.64
- Total employment: 130 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $49,270
- Median hourly wage: $23.69
- Total employment: 110 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $49,430
- Median hourly wage: $23.76
- Total employment: 90 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $49,470
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 300 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,140
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 300 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services
- Median annual wage: $50,480
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 70 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $50,670
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 150 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $50,750
- Median hourly wage: $24.40
- Total employment: 210 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $51,010
- Median hourly wage: $24.52
- Total employment: Not available
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $52,090
- Median hourly wage: $25.04
- Total employment: 180 people (2.48 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: $53,960
- Median hourly wage: $25.94
- Total employment: 220 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $56,110
- Median hourly wage: $26.98
- Total employment: 80 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $57,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.42
- Total employment: 720 people (9.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $57,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.47
- Total employment: 440 people (5.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $57,500
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 80 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rlat // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 60 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 300 people (4.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 320 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,650
- Median hourly wage: $28.68
- Total employment: 190 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $61,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 330 people (4.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $61,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 240 people (3.28 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: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 610 people (8.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $64,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 150 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $65,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,370
- Median hourly wage: $31.91
- Total employment: 70 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $67,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.29
- Total employment: 280 people (3.78 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: $74,350
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 530 people (7.08 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: $77,100
- Median hourly wage: $37.07
- Total employment: 400 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $79,540
- Median hourly wage: $38.24
- Total employment: 110 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 80 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,790
- Median hourly wage: $39.80
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Umpires, referees, and other sports officials
- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $93,070
- Median hourly wage: $44.74
- Total employment: 30 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $93,240
- Median hourly wage: $44.83
- Total employment: 90 people (1.16 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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