Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $48,420
- Median hourly wage: $23.28
- Total employment: 470 people (6.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Janesville 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 Janesville 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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2 / 50#49. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $48,680
- Median hourly wage: $23.40
- Total employment: 230 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
3 / 50#47. Office and administrative support workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $48,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 70 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Roofers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $48,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $49,030
- Median hourly wage: $23.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,090
- Median hourly wage: $23.60
- Total employment: 80 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 140 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $49,630
- Median hourly wage: $23.86
- Total employment: 160 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,770
- Median hourly wage: $23.93
- Total employment: 250 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $50,290
- Median hourly wage: $24.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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giocalde // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Printing press operators
- Median annual wage: $50,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.26
- Total employment: 110 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $50,480
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 110 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $51,450
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 70 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $51,750
- Median hourly wage: $24.88
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $51,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.90
- Total employment: 230 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $52,450
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $53,870
- Median hourly wage: $25.90
- Total employment: 470 people (6.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $53,880
- Median hourly wage: $25.90
- Total employment: 760 people (10.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 180 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $56,820
- Median hourly wage: $27.32
- Total employment: 90 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $57,700
- Median hourly wage: $27.74
- Total employment: 150 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $58,100
- Median hourly wage: $27.94
- Total employment: 480 people (6.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $59,370
- Median hourly wage: $28.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $59,480
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 350 people (5.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Virrage Images // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $60,550
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 90 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $60,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $61,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.52
- Total employment: 100 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 240 people (3.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.84
- Total employment: 330 people (4.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 90 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $63,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.45
- Total employment: 50 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $63,860
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 420 people (6.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $63,930
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 100 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 570 people (8.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 270 people (3.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $69,470
- Median hourly wage: $33.40
- Total employment: 900 people (13.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $71,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.48
- Total employment: 140 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $73,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 130 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $73,890
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 310 people (4.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,420
- Median hourly wage: $35.78
- Total employment: 700 people (10.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.73
- Total employment: 260 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $79,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $81,370
- Median hourly wage: $39.12
- Total employment: 400 people (5.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $81,640
- Median hourly wage: $39.25
- Total employment: 400 people (5.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,330
- Median hourly wage: $46.31
- Total employment: 120 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $97,980
- Median hourly wage: $47.11
- Total employment: 470 people (6.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $99,570
- Median hourly wage: $47.87
- Total employment: 140 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $110,360
- Median hourly wage: $53.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.75 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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