Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $51,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 130 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee 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. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $51,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.75
- Total employment: 580 people (11.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,560
- Median hourly wage: $24.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Median annual wage: $51,770
- Median hourly wage: $24.89
- Total employment: 540 people (10.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $51,840
- Median hourly wage: $24.93
- Total employment: 140 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $52,100
- Median hourly wage: $25.05
- Total employment: 790 people (15.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $53,340
- Median hourly wage: $25.64
- Total employment: 110 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $53,430
- Median hourly wage: $25.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $55,210
- Median hourly wage: $26.55
- Total employment: 70 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,300
- Median hourly wage: $26.59
- Total employment: 100 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $56,240
- Median hourly wage: $27.04
- Total employment: 90 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.13
- Total employment: 50 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Community health workers
- Median annual wage: $57,090
- Median hourly wage: $27.45
- Total employment: 50 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 90 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $57,600
- Median hourly wage: $27.69
- Total employment: 60 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,020
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $59,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 90 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $60,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 400 people (7.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 90 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $61,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $62,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 180 people (3.43 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: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 250 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 200 people (3.92 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: $65,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.39
- Total employment: 70 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $66,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Korotkov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $66,410
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 60 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $66,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 160 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $67,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.62
- Total employment: 210 people (4.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,000
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 110 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $69,620
- Median hourly wage: $33.47
- Total employment: 460 people (8.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $71,460
- Median hourly wage: $34.36
- Total employment: 70 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,400
- Median hourly wage: $34.81
- Total employment: 100 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $74,610
- Median hourly wage: $35.87
- Total employment: 280 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $76,050
- Median hourly wage: $36.56
- Total employment: 220 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $77,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 380 people (7.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $77,660
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $79,450
- Median hourly wage: $38.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $81,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $84,370
- Median hourly wage: $40.56
- Total employment: 280 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $94,270
- Median hourly wage: $45.32
- Total employment: 310 people (6.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $100,000
- Median hourly wage: $48.08
- Total employment: 130 people (2.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $102,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.12
- Total employment: 450 people (8.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $104,200
- Median hourly wage: $50.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $120,950
- Median hourly wage: $58.15
- Total employment: 70 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $122,460
- Median hourly wage: $58.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $130,690
- Median hourly wage: $62.83
- Total employment: 40 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $140,800
- Median hourly wage: $67.69
- Total employment: 50 people (0.93 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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