
Highest paying jobs in Seattle for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Seattle 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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. Riggers
- Annual mean salary: $73,160
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#49. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $73,510
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
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)

#48. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Annual mean salary: $73,530
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#47. Millwrights
- Annual mean salary: $73,580
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#46. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $75,100
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,880
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)
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#45. Subway and streetcar operators
- Annual mean salary: $76,320
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,480
- Employment: 11,250
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($82,190)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,320)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,690)
#44. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Annual mean salary: $77,050
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)
#43. Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
- Annual mean salary: $77,060
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $43,670
- Employment: 6,080
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($77,060)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($59,390)
--- Fort Wayne, IN ($58,460)

#42. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $77,280
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,630
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)

#41. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $77,370
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 11,150
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)
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#40. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $77,550
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,420
- Employment: 59,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)
#39. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Annual mean salary: $78,800
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)

#38. Airfield operations specialists
- Annual mean salary: $79,230
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,360
- Employment: 10,590
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Austin-Round Rock, TX ($88,510)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($80,230)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,230)

#36 (tie). Gas plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $79,520
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#36 (tie). First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $79,520
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 18,100
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)
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#35. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Annual mean salary: $80,830
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260
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)

#34. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $80,900
- #5 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 730
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)

#33. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $81,250
- #16 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 3,020
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)

#32. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $81,950
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,530
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)

#31. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $82,040
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 21,010
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)
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#30. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $82,670
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#29. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $83,560
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,480
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)

#28. Boilermakers
- Annual mean salary: $83,870
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#27. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $84,790
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,160
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. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $86,040
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 5,880
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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#25. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $86,120
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#24. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $86,250
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 6,270
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)

#23. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Annual mean salary: $87,140
- #22 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#22. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $88,250
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,580
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,650
- Employment: 71,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($84,570)

#21. Pile driver operators
- Annual mean salary: $88,750
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140
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)
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#20. Crane and tower operators
- Annual mean salary: $89,850
- #7 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450
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)

#19. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $89,860
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,460
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)

#18. Real estate brokers
- Annual mean salary: $91,180
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600
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)

#17. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Annual mean salary: $92,200
- #18 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400
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)

#16. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Annual mean salary: $93,740
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170
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)
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#15. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $93,840
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,860
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)

#14. Signal and track switch repairers
- Annual mean salary: $95,230
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,970
- Employment: 7,250
- Metros with highest average pay: data not available

#13. Gambling managers
- Annual mean salary: $96,870
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $85,440
- Employment: 3,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($106,830)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($104,140)
--- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($103,210)

#12. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $97,720
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,290
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)

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $98,150
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 970
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $101,210
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 10,870
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. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $101,330
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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)

#8. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $103,640
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $104,510
- #15 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 4,050
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)

#6. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $109,540
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,670
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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#5. Power plant operators
- Annual mean salary: $110,600
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $81,890
- Employment: 32,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fresno, CA ($129,650)
--- Wenatchee, WA ($123,180)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($114,660)

#4. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $111,930
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)
#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $119,240
- #17 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,930
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)

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Annual mean salary: $131,560
- #1 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $134,440
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,190
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)
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