
Highest paying jobs in Houston for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Houston 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 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 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.
You may also like: People from these metros are finding new jobs in Houston

#50. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $55,640
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,150
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)

#49. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $56,090
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 12,810
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)

#48. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $56,260
- #154 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,600
- Employment: 53,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($114,400)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($113,220)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($112,950)

#47. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $56,380
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 9,330
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)

#46. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,420
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 860
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)
You may also like: Where people in Houston are moving to most

#45. Brokerage clerks
- Annual mean salary: $56,840
- #32 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 740
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,460
- Employment: 44,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,310)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($69,330)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($68,970)

#44. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $56,870
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,940
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)
#43. Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $56,960
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,610
- Employment: 8,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($61,370)
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($58,810)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($56,960)

#42. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $58,290
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 7,290
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,990
- Employment: 168,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)

#41. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $59,350
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,880
- Employment: 3,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($106,620)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($106,340)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($104,880)
You may also like: Highest-rated things to do in Houston, according to Tripadvisor
#40. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $59,510
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,950
- Employment: 54,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)

#39. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $60,120
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,090
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)

#38. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $61,320
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670
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)

#37. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $61,350
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- Employment: 10,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN ($79,660)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($72,800)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($71,910)

#36. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $62,090
- #50 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 890
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,870
- Employment: 20,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Evansville, IN-KY ($77,880)
--- Anchorage, AK ($77,690)
--- Oklahoma City, OK ($77,100)
You may also like: Highest-rated Chinese restaurants in Houston, according to Tripadvisor
#35. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,220
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 34,230
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)

#34. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $62,660
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,020
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)

#33. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $63,250
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,100
- Employment: 32,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)

#32. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $63,280
- #197 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,740
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)

#31. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,000
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,000
National
- Annual mean salary: $64,010
- Employment: 44,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($131,160)
--- Syracuse, NY ($103,350)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($99,990)
You may also like: Metros where people in Houston are getting new jobs

#30. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $64,810
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $86,200
- Employment: 24,730
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($130,290)
--- Kansas City, MO-KS ($113,590)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($113,480)

#29. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 14,150
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)

#28. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $67,530
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,090
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)
#26 (tie). Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Annual mean salary: $68,260
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,830
- Employment: 10,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($75,030)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($69,840)
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($68,890)
#26 (tie). Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $68,260
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,760
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)
You may also like: Highest and lowest paying education jobs in Houston

#25. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $68,500
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,430
- Employment: 14,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,660)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($96,080)
--- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($90,620)

#24. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $68,540
- #99 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 24,260
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)

#23. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,730
- #181 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,470
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)

#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $69,890
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 22,680
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)

#21. Tax preparers
- Annual mean salary: $70,190
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,710
- Employment: 62,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($81,880)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($79,470)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($73,170)
You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Houston

#20. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $71,340
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,720
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)

#19. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $74,140
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,450
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)

#17 (tie). Wellhead pumpers
- Annual mean salary: $75,610
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,190
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,500
- Employment: 12,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($77,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($75,610)
--- Midland, TX ($74,690)

#17 (tie). First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $75,610
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 21,820
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)

#16. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $77,030
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 15,280
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)
You may also like: Highest-rated breakfast restaurants in Houston, according to Tripadvisor

#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $77,150
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 13,920
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)

#14. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $78,600
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 580
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)

#13. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $78,650
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,850
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)

#12. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Annual mean salary: $81,290
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,610
- Employment: 40,480
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($105,090)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($101,900)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($97,860)

#11. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $81,480
- #38 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,320
- Employment: 27,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)
You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Houston that require a bachelor's degree

#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $81,850
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,470
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)

#9. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $82,060
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $93,260
- Employment: 9,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($131,560)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($129,570)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($123,540)

#8. Chemical plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $82,410
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,960
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,460
- Employment: 29,710
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Lima, OH ($92,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($91,210)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($90,170)

#7. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $87,880
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,660
- Employment: 13,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL ($97,930)
--- Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ ($96,450)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($94,460)

#6. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $88,710
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,490
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)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Houston that don't require a college degree

#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $96,570
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,530
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. Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $97,080
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,170
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,290
- Employment: 14,990
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($98,750)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($97,080)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $98,260
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,530
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)

#2. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $106,920
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,010
National
- Annual mean salary: $110,830
- Employment: 37,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $112,650
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,540
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)
You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Houston that require a graduate degree