Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $65,900
- Median hourly wage: $31.68
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $65,930
- Median hourly wage: $31.70
- Total employment: 190 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $65,960
- Median hourly wage: $31.71
- Total employment: 230 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $68,050
- Median hourly wage: $32.72
- Total employment: 680 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $68,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.76
- Total employment: 470 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $68,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.80
- Total employment: 1,970 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $68,550
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 3,550 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $68,570
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 7,240 people (8.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $69,320
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $70,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 260 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $70,390
- Median hourly wage: $33.84
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $70,710
- Median hourly wage: $33.99
- Total employment: 440 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $70,770
- Median hourly wage: $34.03
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,190
- Median hourly wage: $34.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $71,410
- Median hourly wage: $34.33
- Total employment: 10,790 people (13.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $71,470
- Median hourly wage: $34.36
- Total employment: 950 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vadim Ratnikov // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Earth drillers, except oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $72,290
- Median hourly wage: $34.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $72,560
- Median hourly wage: $34.89
- Total employment: 640 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SpeedKingz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Personal service managers, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,120
- Median hourly wage: $35.16
- Total employment: Not available
adriaticfoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Miscellaneous construction and related workers
- Median annual wage: $73,760
- Median hourly wage: $35.46
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $74,330
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 690 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $74,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.89
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 6,370 people (7.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $76,820
- Median hourly wage: $36.93
- Total employment: 3,690 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $77,510
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 1,730 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,620
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 2,150 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 740 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $78,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.73
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $79,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 950 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $80,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 240 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $80,440
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 180 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $82,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 2,710 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $83,430
- Median hourly wage: $40.11
- Total employment: 2,590 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $83,800
- Median hourly wage: $40.29
- Total employment: 170 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $85,180
- Median hourly wage: $40.95
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $87,170
- Median hourly wage: $41.91
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $89,070
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 160 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $91,280
- Median hourly wage: $43.89
- Total employment: 3,400 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,670
- Median hourly wage: $44.07
- Total employment: 3,580 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $93,370
- Median hourly wage: $44.89
- Total employment: 270 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Washburn HM // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $93,950
- Median hourly wage: $45.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $95,160
- Median hourly wage: $45.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,910
- Median hourly wage: $47.55
- Total employment: 1,120 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $98,970
- Median hourly wage: $47.58
- Total employment: 510 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $99,050
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 70 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $99,470
- Median hourly wage: $47.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $99,730
- Median hourly wage: $47.95
- Total employment: 1,930 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $108,130
- Median hourly wage: $51.99
- Total employment: 520 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $108,840
- Median hourly wage: $52.33
- Total employment: 540 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $118,490
- Median hourly wage: $56.97
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 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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