Highest-paying jobs in Austin 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 Austin 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

#50. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

- Median annual wage: $58,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 630 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $59,040
- Median hourly wage: $28.38
- Total employment: 6,190 people (4.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.40
- Total employment: 430 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $59,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 1,940 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#45. Public safety telecommunicators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 610 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,670
- Median hourly wage: $28.69
- Total employment: 850 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Quality Stock Arts // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Media and communication workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: Not available

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $60,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 3,380 people (2.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $60,760
- Median hourly wage: $29.21
- Total employment: 1,530 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $61,170
- Median hourly wage: $29.41
- Total employment: 120 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SpeedKingz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Personal service managers, all other

- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,480
- Median hourly wage: $29.56
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 1,350 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $62,280
- Median hourly wage: $29.94
- Total employment: 4,740 people (3.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $62,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 960 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $62,460
- Median hourly wage: $30.03
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $63,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 310 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $64,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.79
- Total employment: 2,120 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $64,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 3,930 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#30. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products (tie)

- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 6,490 people (5.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Joey Chung // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel (tie)

- Median annual wage: $64,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.91
- Total employment: 12,690 people (10.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $64,610
- Median hourly wage: $31.06
- Total employment: 770 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $64,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.11
- Total employment: 1,770 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 3,550 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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LStockStudio // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Brokerage clerks

- Median annual wage: $64,920
- Median hourly wage: $31.21
- Total employment: 180 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: 3,020 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 8,530 people (6.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $66,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.07
- Total employment: Not available

Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $66,750
- Median hourly wage: $32.09
- Total employment: 520 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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BearFotos // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $66,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 180 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $74,130
- Median hourly wage: $35.64
- Total employment: 5,240 people (4.16 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: $74,620
- Median hourly wage: $35.88
- Total employment: 17,500 people (13.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $75,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.20
- Total employment: 250 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $76,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 1,350 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Prath // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,470
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 1,680 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $77,530
- Median hourly wage: $37.28
- Total employment: 8,060 people (6.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $80,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.66
- Total employment: 2,230 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $80,540
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 2,890 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $80,840
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $81,240
- Median hourly wage: $39.06
- Total employment: 1,010 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas

- Median annual wage: $82,380
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $82,670
- Median hourly wage: $39.74
- Total employment: 160 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $83,820
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 4,280 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $98,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 260 people (0.2 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: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: 1,940 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,950
- Median hourly wage: $50.94
- Total employment: 160 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $127,540
- Median hourly wage: $61.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $127,860
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 490 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $213,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 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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