
Highest paying jobs in Norfolk for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Norfolk 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 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 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. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $51,460
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,400
- Employment: 44,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,510)
--- Nevada nonmetropolitan area ($81,690)
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($78,180)

#49. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $52,080
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
National
- Annual mean salary: $55,470
- Employment: 27,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($109,380)
--- Syracuse, NY ($97,670)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,740)

#48. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $52,220
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#47. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $52,370
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
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)

#46. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $52,860
- #402 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,040
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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#45. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $53,030
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,170
- Employment: 29,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($106,300)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,930)
--- South Illinois nonmetropolitan area ($101,630)

#44. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $53,080
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320
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)

#43. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,230
- #338 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,530
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)

#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $53,360
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,100
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)

#41. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $53,820
- #269 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,860
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)
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#40. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $53,870
- #310 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,320
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)

#39. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $54,130
- #37 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
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)

#38. Riggers
- Annual mean salary: $54,290
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,020
- Employment: 21,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($89,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,310)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($73,160)

#37. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $54,530
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,480
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)

#36. Hearing aid specialists
- Annual mean salary: $54,780
- #27 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,630
- Employment: 7,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($75,130)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($73,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($72,300)
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#35. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $54,820
- #87 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,910
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)

#34. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,950
- #143 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,490
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)

#33. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $56,690
- #274 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,000
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)

#32. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Annual mean salary: $57,250
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 880
National
- Annual mean salary: $44,750
- Employment: 69,550
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($59,130)
--- Anchorage, AK ($57,900)
--- Longview, WA ($57,410)

#31. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Annual mean salary: $57,620
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#30. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $57,820
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,980
- Employment: 7,570
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($77,050)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($62,170)
--- Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC ($57,820)
#29. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,080
- #227 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,690
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)

#28. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $58,170
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#27. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,110
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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)

#26. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $61,530
- #175 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 780
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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#25. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $61,720
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,320
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)

#24. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $61,730
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 500
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)

#23. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $62,000
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
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)

#22. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $63,030
- #140 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#21. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $63,450
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)
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#20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $65,640
- #336 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#19. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $66,920
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)

#18. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $67,180
- #119 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,800
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. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $67,390
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)

#16. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,420
- #273 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,750
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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#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $67,980
- #222 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770
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)

#14. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,660
- #200 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,590
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)

#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $69,600
- #264 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,240
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)

#12. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $69,830
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,060
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)

#11. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $69,910
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $70,790
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,330
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)

#9. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $71,360
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $71,860
- #48 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)

#7. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $72,450
- #81 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,970
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)

#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $84,360
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410
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)
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#5. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $84,680
- #25 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)
#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $87,250
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440
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. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $91,050
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,050
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $98,580
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
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)

#1. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $102,120
- #97 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
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)
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