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1 / 50#50. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 150 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Cheyenne 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 Cheyenne 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. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $49,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 580 people (12.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $51,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.64
- Total employment: 110 people (2.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $51,540
- Median hourly wage: $24.78
- Total employment: 180 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Eligibility interviewers, government programs (tie)
- Median annual wage: $51,540
- Median hourly wage: $24.78
- Total employment: 120 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $52,400
- Median hourly wage: $25.19
- Total employment: 170 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $52,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.33
- Total employment: 50 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $52,810
- Median hourly wage: $25.39
- Total employment: 80 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $53,160
- Median hourly wage: $25.56
- Total employment: 240 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $53,510
- Median hourly wage: $25.72
- Total employment: 260 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#39. Information and record clerks, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,910
- Median hourly wage: $25.92
- Total employment: 80 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Procurement clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,910
- Median hourly wage: $25.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $55,390
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 100 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $55,970
- Median hourly wage: $26.91
- Total employment: 170 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $56,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $56,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.33
- Total employment: 50 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $57,680
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $59,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.49
- Total employment: 90 people (1.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GolF2532 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Median annual wage: $59,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.79
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 50 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 70 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $61,260
- Median hourly wage: $29.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $61,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.53
- Total employment: 330 people (6.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.53
- Total employment: 110 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 200 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $61,780
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 110 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 60 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.22
- Total employment: 140 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 410 people (8.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $63,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 60 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $64,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 150 people (3.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,650
- Median hourly wage: $31.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $67,140
- Median hourly wage: $32.28
- Total employment: 260 people (5.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $70,140
- Median hourly wage: $33.72
- Total employment: 210 people (4.37 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: $70,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.83
- Total employment: 240 people (4.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $71,270
- Median hourly wage: $34.27
- Total employment: 80 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $72,520
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 410 people (8.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $73,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 120 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,050
- Median hourly wage: $35.60
- Total employment: 30 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.47
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $78,140
- Median hourly wage: $37.57
- Total employment: 410 people (8.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 130 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,250
- Median hourly wage: $38.58
- Total employment: 280 people (5.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $84,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $90,330
- Median hourly wage: $43.43
- Total employment: 60 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,750
- Median hourly wage: $47.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $108,100
- Median hourly wage: $51.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.73 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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