brizmaker // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $56,740
- Median hourly wage: $27.28
- Total employment: 120 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Appleton 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 Appleton 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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Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $56,810
- Median hourly wage: $27.31
- Total employment: 1,270 people (10.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,830
- Median hourly wage: $27.32
- Total employment: 460 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $58,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 180 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $58,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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RossHelen // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $58,870
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 600 people (4.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $59,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 60 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 100 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Steve Hamann // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners
- Median annual wage: $59,620
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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fizkes // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $60,200
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 270 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 990 people (8.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 100 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,270
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $61,300
- Median hourly wage: $29.47
- Total employment: 470 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $61,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 860 people (6.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 60 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Gress Media Inc // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Engine and other machine assemblers
- Median annual wage: $61,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 110 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $62,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $62,780
- Median hourly wage: $30.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $63,050
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 1,050 people (8.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $63,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.47
- Total employment: 210 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $63,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,540
- Median hourly wage: $30.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 380 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $64,100
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 1,570 people (12.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $64,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 560 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stoyan Yotov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $65,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 840 people (6.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $65,640
- Median hourly wage: $31.56
- Total employment: 180 people (1.44 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: $66,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 1,030 people (8.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 30 people (0.24 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: $74,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 1,280 people (10.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Irene Miller // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $76,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.54
- Total employment: 480 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 180 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $78,100
- Median hourly wage: $37.55
- Total employment: 360 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $78,700
- Median hourly wage: $37.84
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $79,100
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 360 people (2.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jat306 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $80,400
- Median hourly wage: $38.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $82,410
- Median hourly wage: $39.62
- Total employment: 810 people (6.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,980
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 580 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $85,890
- Median hourly wage: $41.29
- Total employment: 850 people (6.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $89,810
- Median hourly wage: $43.18
- Total employment: 90 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $90,400
- Median hourly wage: $43.46
- Total employment: 140 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $91,680
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $94,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.28
- Total employment: 310 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,170
- Median hourly wage: $47.20
- Total employment: 120 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $102,970
- Median hourly wage: $49.50
- Total employment: 140 people (1.1 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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