
Highest paying jobs in Wausau for high school graduates
Highest paying jobs in Wausau 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 Wausau, WI 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. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $44,290
- #4 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $34,180
- Employment: 26,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area ($45,440)
--- Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area ($44,600)
--- Madison, WI ($44,500)
#49. Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $44,380
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,220
- Employment: 52,760
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($60,940)
--- Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area ($52,510)
--- Bowling Green, KY ($49,980)
#48. Automotive body and related repairers
- Annual mean salary: $44,620
- #352 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)
#47. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $44,770
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $50,970
- Employment: 52,190
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
--- Salem, OR ($78,000)
--- Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area ($76,680)
#46. Billing and posting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,000
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250
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)
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#45. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Annual mean salary: $45,380
- #169 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 460
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)
#44. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Annual mean salary: $45,780
- #230 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#43. Highway maintenance workers
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
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)
#42. Social and human service assistants
- Annual mean salary: $46,270
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220
National
- Annual mean salary: $38,230
- Employment: 399,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($56,140)
--- North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area ($55,360)
--- Danbury, CT ($54,870)

#41. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Annual mean salary: $46,480
- #93 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 900
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)
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#40. Machinists
- Annual mean salary: $46,780
- #238 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#39. Printing press operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,330
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $40,200
- Employment: 160,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($56,850)
--- Dover-Durham, NH-ME ($51,730)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($50,370)
#38. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Annual mean salary: $47,610
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330
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)

#37. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $48,500
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
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)

#36. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Annual mean salary: $48,730
- #298 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)
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#35. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Annual mean salary: $49,360
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 650
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)
#34. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $49,510
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,850
- Employment: 47,930
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($92,800)
--- Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area ($83,130)
--- Napa, CA ($68,470)

#33. Self-enrichment teachers
- Annual mean salary: $49,700
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)
#32. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $49,830
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 200
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)

#31. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $50,010
- #251 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
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#30. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Annual mean salary: $51,190
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $41,480
- Employment: 99,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Longview, WA ($65,210)
--- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL ($58,070)
--- Western Washington nonmetropolitan area ($57,790)

#29. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Annual mean salary: $51,290
- #23 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
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)

#28. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Annual mean salary: $51,320
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)

#27. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $51,930
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 510
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)

#26. Carpenters
- Annual mean salary: $53,050
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310
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)
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#25. Postal service mail carriers
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- #265 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
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)

#24. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Annual mean salary: $54,130
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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)

#23. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Annual mean salary: $54,490
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,090
- Employment: 253,010
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,900)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($73,400)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($70,480)

#22. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $54,700
- #139 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60
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)
#21. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $54,730
- #346 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
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)
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#20. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Annual mean salary: $55,060
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,440
- Employment: 105,400
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Huntsville, AL ($55,830)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,260)
--- Wausau, WI ($55,060)

#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Annual mean salary: $57,570
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
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)
#18. Community health workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,050
- #9 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $46,000
- Employment: 58,670
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($66,110)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,530)
--- Bend-Redmond, OR ($61,820)

#17. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $59,100
- #102 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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)

#16. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,960
- #213 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
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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#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Annual mean salary: $62,600
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 910
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)

#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $63,010
- #52 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
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)

#13. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $64,320
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
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)

#12. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $64,330
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#11. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $64,860
- #137 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 290
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)
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#10. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $64,970
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 660
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)

#9. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $68,800
- #191 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 960
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)

#8. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $69,160
- #192 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
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)

#7. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $69,260
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
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)

#6. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $71,540
- #186 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240
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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#5. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $73,020
- #171 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280
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)

#4. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $77,120
- #47 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
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)

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $81,020
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
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)
#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $94,430
- #225 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
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. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $99,730
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210
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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