Highest-paying jobs in Charleston, West Virginia 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 Charleston 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.

Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Cement masons and concrete finishers

- Median annual wage: $48,550
- Median hourly wage: $23.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stokkete // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Information and record clerks, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 50 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $49,080
- Median hourly wage: $23.60
- Total employment: 50 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

4 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $49,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.65
- Total employment: 320 people (2.95 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: $49,250
- Median hourly wage: $23.68
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Glaziers

- Median annual wage: $49,260
- Median hourly wage: $23.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $49,320
- Median hourly wage: $23.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $50,080
- Median hourly wage: $24.08
- Total employment: 110 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

9 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $50,140
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 310 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

10 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $50,250
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 450 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $50,690
- Median hourly wage: $24.37
- Total employment: 250 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $50,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 210 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $52,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.00
- Total employment: 860 people (8.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $52,550
- Median hourly wage: $25.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $53,510
- Median hourly wage: $25.73
- Total employment: 160 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $54,790
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 310 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,040
- Median hourly wage: $26.46
- Total employment: 1,170 people (10.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $55,090
- Median hourly wage: $26.49
- Total employment: 150 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $56,460
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 310 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders

- Median annual wage: $56,620
- Median hourly wage: $27.22
- Total employment: 130 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Said M // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Service unit operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $56,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.30
- Total employment: 80 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $56,800
- Median hourly wage: $27.31
- Total employment: 530 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $57,490
- Median hourly wage: $27.64
- Total employment: 390 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $57,800
- Median hourly wage: $27.79
- Total employment: 110 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $57,860
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 230 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $58,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.95
- Total employment: 490 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 240 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $59,740
- Median hourly wage: $28.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

mariakray // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Traffic technicians

- Median annual wage: $59,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.81
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $60,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 60 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 380 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Community health workers

- Median annual wage: $61,080
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 120 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $61,280
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 130 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $61,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 70 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,300
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 360 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $62,650
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 560 people (5.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,240
- Median hourly wage: $30.40
- Total employment: 100 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $63,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.55
- Total employment: 80 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $63,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ironwas // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Continuous mining machine operators

- Median annual wage: $63,860
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 90 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $64,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 360 people (3.39 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: $64,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 590 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $66,130
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $73,880
- Median hourly wage: $35.52
- Total employment: 90 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

- Median annual wage: $75,290
- Median hourly wage: $36.20
- Total employment: 70 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.16
- Total employment: 740 people (6.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $82,070
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $84,880
- Median hourly wage: $40.81
- Total employment: 110 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $85,580
- Median hourly wage: $41.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)