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 Madison 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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1 / 50- Median annual wage: $63,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.56
- Total employment: 240 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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2 / 50- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 260 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50- Median annual wage: $63,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 3,880 people (9.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 / 50- Median annual wage: $64,020
- Median hourly wage: $30.78
- Total employment: 980 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50- Median annual wage: $64,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 3,660 people (9.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50- Median annual wage: $64,780
- Median hourly wage: $31.14
- Total employment: 100 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50- Median annual wage: $65,280
- Median hourly wage: $31.39
- Total employment: 1,030 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50- Median annual wage: $65,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.40
- Total employment: 540 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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9 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 50 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,470
- Median hourly wage: $31.96
- Total employment: 120 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,490
- Median hourly wage: $31.97
- Total employment: 270 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.02
- Total employment: 90 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50- Median annual wage: $66,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 950 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50- Median annual wage: $68,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50- Median annual wage: $69,000
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50- Median annual wage: $69,460
- Median hourly wage: $33.39
- Total employment: 80 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50- Median annual wage: $70,140
- Median hourly wage: $33.72
- Total employment: 170 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50- Median annual wage: $72,130
- Median hourly wage: $34.68
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50- Median annual wage: $72,450
- Median hourly wage: $34.83
- Total employment: 3,740 people (9.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: 220 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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23 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,610
- Median hourly wage: $36.35
- Total employment: 760 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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24 / 50- Median annual wage: $75,820
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 2,110 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50- Median annual wage: $76,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 680 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50- Median annual wage: $76,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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27 / 50- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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28 / 50- Median annual wage: $77,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 320 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50- Median annual wage: $77,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 1,650 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Median annual wage: $79,400
- Median hourly wage: $38.17
- Total employment: 1,530 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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33 / 50- Median annual wage: $80,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 120 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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34 / 50- Median annual wage: $82,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 1,310 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50- Median annual wage: $83,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.96
- Total employment: 1,560 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50- Median annual wage: $83,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 430 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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37 / 50- Median annual wage: $83,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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38 / 50- Median annual wage: $83,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 1,790 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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39 / 50- Median annual wage: $84,650
- Median hourly wage: $40.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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40 / 50- Median annual wage: $88,200
- Median hourly wage: $42.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50- Median annual wage: $88,960
- Median hourly wage: $42.77
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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42 / 50- Median annual wage: $90,520
- Median hourly wage: $43.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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43 / 50- Median annual wage: $98,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.29
- Total employment: 390 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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44 / 50- Median annual wage: $99,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.81
- Total employment: 1,380 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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45 / 50- Median annual wage: $100,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50- Median annual wage: $101,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 260 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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47 / 50- Median annual wage: $102,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 900 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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48 / 50- Median annual wage: $104,010
- Median hourly wage: $50.01
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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49 / 50- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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50 / 50- Median annual wage: $115,590
- Median hourly wage: $55.57
- Total employment: 200 people (0.49 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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