
Highest paying jobs in Clarksville for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Clarksville for high school graduates
The average college graduate in 2020 earned $1,305 a week, while the average high school graduate takes home just $781, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Of course, college isn’t for everyone. There are many reasons high-school graduates may choose to not continue on to college, not the least of which being cost. Average tuition costs continue to rise each year, the exception being the 2020-2021 school year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Average tuition at a public, in-state university coming in at $9,687; tuition for out-of-state students at public schools, and for everyone at private universities, is significantly higher at $21,874 and $35,087, respectively.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs for high school graduates in Clarksville, TN-KY using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to see which jobs in your city pay the most for high school graduates.
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#50. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $41,670
- #438 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,800
- Employment: 360,340
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($76,230)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($71,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,300)

#49. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $41,760
- #382 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,200
- Employment: 699,300
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($81,730)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,680)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,280)
#48. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $42,060
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- Employment: 40,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,740)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($83,090)

#47. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $42,150
- #421 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,690
- Employment: 397,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($72,500)
--- Anchorage, AK ($71,840)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($71,250)

#46. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $42,450
- #405 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,280
- Employment: 402,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)
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#45. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $42,980
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,350
- Employment: 35,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($61,910)
--- Bellingham, WA ($61,210)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,760)

#44. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $43,040
- #222 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,130
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,790
- Employment: 1,357,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,230)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($59,870)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($56,650)

#43. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $43,160
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,930
- Employment: 222,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,350)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($66,650)
--- Utica-Rome, NY ($63,470)

#42. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $43,470
- #504 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,000
- Employment: 197,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)

#41. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $43,640
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,330
- Employment: 93,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area ($91,300)
--- Billings, MT ($88,420)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($76,050)
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#40. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Annual mean salary: $43,870
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,770
- Employment: 53,370
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,710)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($77,840)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,960)

#39. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $44,070
- #395 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,040
- Employment: 103,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

#38. Procurement clerks
- Annual mean salary: $44,370
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,400
- Employment: 61,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($58,310)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,800)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($56,330)
#37. Weighers, measurers, checkers, and samplers, recordkeeping
- Annual mean salary: $44,440
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,080
- Employment: 57,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,360)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($54,750)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($52,920)

#36. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $44,650
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- Employment: 405,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)
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#35. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $46,420
- #362 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- Employment: 253,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

#34. Printing press operators
- Annual mean salary: $46,550
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,200
- Employment: 160,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($56,850)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($51,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($50,370)

#33. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $46,630
- #428 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,100
- Employment: 417,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

#32. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,990
- #247 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- Employment: 128,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)

#31. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $47,010
- #316 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,740
- Employment: 101,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Leominster-Gardner, MA ($81,020)
--- Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area ($79,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,600)
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#30. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $47,050
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,000
- Employment: 147,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#29. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $47,280
- #190 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- Employment: 44,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($91,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,580)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($80,780)
#28. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $47,290
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,430
- Employment: 137,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Ann Arbor, MI ($71,350)
--- Ames, IA ($68,340)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,060)

#27. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $48,130
- #440 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,550
- Employment: 656,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)

#26. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,540
- #229 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,040
- Employment: 110,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)
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#25. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $48,930
- #203 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,270
- Employment: 31,790
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($122,290)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)

#24. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $49,060
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,960
- Employment: 65,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($77,890)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($77,690)
--- Savannah, GA ($76,260)

#23. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $49,390
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,400
- Employment: 50,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)

#22. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $49,400
- #260 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,000
- Employment: 362,090
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Idaho Falls, ID ($74,970)
--- Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI ($71,160)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($67,770)

#21. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $50,550
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,630
- Employment: 44,610
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($152,460)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($133,810)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($132,320)
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#20. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,010
- #441 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,200
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,010
- Employment: 1,427,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)

#19. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $51,060
- #399 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,100
- Employment: 409,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $51,260
- #473 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,490
- Employment: 977,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)

#17. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $52,700
- #194 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,860
- Employment: 122,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)

#16. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,820
- #404 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,350
- Employment: 385,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($85,900)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($85,360)
--- Anchorage, AK ($82,890)
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#15. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,090
- #354 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,180
- Employment: 333,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Modesto, CA ($57,160)
--- Bismarck, ND ($57,090)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,820)

#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $53,650
- #329 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,470
- Employment: 113,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

#13. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,080
- #130 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,200
- Employment: 86,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)
#12. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $55,520
- #308 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,230
- Employment: 503,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

#11. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $57,820
- #254 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,210
- Employment: 219,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ($105,220)
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#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,810
- #461 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,990
- Employment: 614,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)

#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,760
- #343 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- Employment: 599,900
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($98,170)
--- Lake Charles, LA ($97,910)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($96,900)

#8. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $63,540
- #357 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 390
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,500
- Employment: 1,278,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $65,630
- #381 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,100
- Employment: 475,000
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)

#6. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $68,110
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,650
- Employment: 287,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area ($92,500)
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#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $68,370
- #250 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $89,300
- Employment: 105,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $68,920
- #363 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $97,180
- Employment: 122,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)

#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,780
- #282 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
National
- Annual mean salary: $74,410
- Employment: 114,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($109,740)

#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $73,670
- #340 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,120
- Employment: 240,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $76,900
- #406 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,100
- Employment: 132,210
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)
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