
Highest paying jobs in Blacksburg for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Blacksburg 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 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 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. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $36,450
- #339 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,200
- Employment: 149,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($70,690)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($67,370)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($67,340)
#49. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Annual mean salary: $36,530
- #80 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,960
- Employment: 91,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Pittsfield, MA ($58,590)
--- Reno, NV ($50,700)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($50,600)
#48. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $36,770
- #178 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $39,800
- Employment: 134,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Mankato-North Mankato, MN ($54,510)
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($52,470)
--- Lafayette, LA ($52,280)
#47. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $37,060
- #357 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,610
- Employment: 445,160
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,850)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($55,130)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($54,960)

#46. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $37,080
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,290
- Employment: 32,460
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($76,480)
--- Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area ($70,140)
--- Nevada nonmetropolitan area ($60,400)
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#45. Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive
- Annual mean salary: $37,360
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,420
- Employment: 1,850,360
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($56,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,730)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($54,450)
#44. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $37,750
- #304 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,800
- Employment: 93,290
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)
#43. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $37,880
- #333 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,300
- Employment: 149,120
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($70,030)
--- Waco, TX ($63,080)
--- Springfield, MA-CT ($57,930)
#42. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Annual mean salary: $37,890
- #306 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,990
- Employment: 138,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,570)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($67,900)
--- New Haven, CT ($63,790)

#41. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $38,200
- #282 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
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#40. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $38,660
- #437 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,860
- Employment: 188,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($64,510)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($64,140)
--- Decatur, IL ($60,740)

#39. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $41,580
- #386 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#38. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $41,660
- #321 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- Employment: 549,200
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area ($88,150)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($80,420)
--- Odessa, TX ($70,950)
#37. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Annual mean salary: $42,030
- #241 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $45,500
- Employment: 141,260
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,770)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($60,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($59,160)
#36. Residential advisors
- Annual mean salary: $42,070
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $33,430
- Employment: 102,450
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area ($53,030)
--- Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area ($51,890)
--- Trenton, NJ ($50,560)
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#35. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $42,860
- #326 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $48,290
- Employment: 133,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($66,600)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,240)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($60,930)
#34. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $42,960
- #124 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,960
- Employment: 116,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area ($69,070)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($61,970)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($60,690)

#33. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $43,470
- #496 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)

#32. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $43,800
- #400 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#31. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $44,580
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,300
- Employment: 1,063,110
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($57,830)
--- Boulder, CO ($56,520)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,930)
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#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $45,080
- #465 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,330
- #320 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,890
- Employment: 119,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)

#28. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $45,360
- #127 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,000
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)

#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $45,520
- #344 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)

#26. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,190
- #261 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)
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#25. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $46,590
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#24. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $47,670
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
National
- Annual mean salary: $42,140
- Employment: 137,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, MI ($60,190)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($58,940)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($58,790)
#23. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $47,890
- #219 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#22. Chefs and head cooks
- Annual mean salary: $48,680
- #285 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $49,100
- #386 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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#20. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $49,990
- #388 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#19. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $52,270
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)

#18. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $53,730
- #327 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)

#17. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $54,150
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
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)

#16. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $54,640
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)
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#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $54,790
- #321 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 820
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)

#14. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $55,840
- #275 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
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)
#13. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $55,950
- #291 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)

#12. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $57,990
- #207 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610
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)

#11. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $61,940
- #423 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 360
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)
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#10. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $65,280
- #341 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- #358 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)

#8. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,610
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
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)

#7. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $70,700
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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)

#6. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $70,810
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
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#5. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $72,380
- #222 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. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $73,040
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $74,870
- #316 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $76,070
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $115,260
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
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